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Sunday 27 September 2009

A small hiatus

Not much time for blogging around here this past week. As I have mentioned, I am in Devon because both the Aged Parents had suffered injuries - unfortunately, FD's enforced bed rest turned into pneumonia and I found myself inexpertly nursing someone who was becoming seriously ill; though that didn't last too long, thank goodness. The doctor arrived and mercifully said FD needed to be in hospital, the dog - who had been looking increasingly uncomfortable all day - fell over, and the vet was sent for. Vet's nurse arrived, loaded dog into car and drove off, ambulance arrived, loaded FD in and drove off, my mother and I looked at each other...

FD is somewhat better, thank goodness, but now we are on hospital visiting. Or rather, my mother is, while I look after the dog, who is subdued after a severe attack of gastritis, but recovering his bounce. I haven't done any work for days and am beginning to panic slightly. I'm also wondering when I will get home again (I am missing my own dogs dreadfully, of course) and thanking the various gods of small domestic disasters that OH is having a good patch, and that I'm not needed at home. I'm trying to leave this rambling old house in a better state than I found it, so I'm falling into bed at night utterly exhausted, but when I have time I shall be looking for fellow bloggers caring for elderly parents, I think, in search of a bit of moral support and someone to share the anxieties with. Any recommendations, anyone?

6 comments:

Table Talk said...

I'm not in that position now, GC, but I was for ten years and as an only child I know how lonely it can be and how desperately you want someone to talk to. You know where I am.

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

I am not in that position so can't offer you any useful shared experience but as a long time reader of your blog I just wanted to offer you some virtual support. It must be so hard to be absent from your own life like this. I do hope things improve and you can back to your home, dogs, husband, work, not necessarily in that order.
If at all possible, make sure you take care of yourself too or you will be down with the dog too!

Rob Clack said...

I'm not looking after an aged parent but can sympathise. My mother is in terminal decline (vascular dementia). We arranged 4 home care visits a day starting a month ago, but she's so much worse now, she really needs to be in a nursing home. Except that requires another needs assessment, which seems to be taking weeks to organise.

And my two brothers and I live 150 miles away from her. There's no family near where she lives. The stress got to me and I've been signed off for two weeks, but then what?

Jodie Robson said...

TT and Elizabeth, thank you both so much for the words of support, I do appreciate them.

Rob, I'm so sorry, it sounds absolutely dreadful. Being so far away is agony, and runs everyone ragged, doesn't it, and one does worry so about the future. I do hope you don't have to wait too much longer before you can get your mother into a nursing home.

Rob Clack said...

Sorry I dumped that on you, GC, but sometimes there is no small boy to stick his finger in the hole in the dyke, and it all just floods out!

I'm delighted to say that mum is being properly cared for at last. My younger brother visited, found her worryingly feeble so called the doc. Nurse arrived, was horrified at how much worse she was than only 10 days previously and had her admitted to hospital immediately.

After a week or so she was transferred to a dementia ward where all is much calmer and she seems quite content.

But apparently furious that she's not dead yet!

Jodie Robson said...

Rob, I didn't mind in the least - after all, I'd been doing it on my blog. I'm very glad that your mother is somewhere where she can be looked after, and she has all my sympathy over her current state!