Monday 30 August 2010

Uni starts

Have I "bitten off more than I can chew?"  We will see.  I thought I'd only registered for two subjects but find I am registered for three.  I will see how it goes, but think I might manage the bigger workload.  I'll know in a week or so.

What am I studying?  Master of Arts (Writing) at Swinburne University.  Clearly I am an external student - but will try and get to Melbourne at some stage to meet my lecturers and tutors but meanwhile it is all online or on CD.  

My, how new technology is changing things.  My study pack was all on CD - complete with all the material I need and the lectures, which I can listen to and read.  As often as I like.  The Swinburne website is awesome and a bit overwhelming too, though I think I have managed to understand most of it.  Certainly it shows me what can be done with the new resources - and I look forward to having the time to myself to study when I move into the house sit at Paddington next week.

 I have scheduled study days - and free days though I don't think I will have many of the latter as I have quite a few things I want to do - writing wise.

Also having some challenges with my parents.  Mum is in a nursing home - she has dementia, and she is not settling in well, though I know it will take several weeks to get used to her new surroundings.  I was told I could not speak with her - but I phoned the nursing home today and they have said I can speak with her.  She will not have a phone in her room, but I can have short conversations on the hoswpital cordless phone.  I did today.  She told me she was in the city, waiting for a taxi to take her home.  Sad.  I doubt that she has every used a taxi, and she certainly isn't in the city.

I have spoken with the nursing home sister in charge today, and she paints a different picture than that I had from my family.  She has been seen by a doctor (though a locum), and she has had her hair washed, and according to them, she is generally quite settled.  Dad feels terribly guilty about it all - but as she is 95 and he is 91 - there was little option.  He cannot manage her.  She does have moments when she is lucid - but they are rare.

I am hoping to get information from the Dementia people - just to check what else we can feasibly do for
her.  It is frustrating for me to be so far away, and I know it is frustrating for my father and sister to deal with it all on a daily basis.

I willl go to Adelaide in a couple weeks.  Meanwhile it is back to study.



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