Selfish Pig's Guide to Caring - book

[Lazydaisy]

Happy Anniversary John and Pat.

My husband and I will celebrate our Silver Wedding in April, 28 years since we started courting. He still makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world even when his pain is at its worst.

Like Meg, I found the sentiments from the men very emotional. Thanks for sharing them with us, your wives are lucky ladies in love.

[marie66]

Happy Anniversary!

It's nice to hear of couples who have been together happily for a long time isn't it?

Hugh's book changed my life, it opened up my whole attitude to caring and helped me be proud and confident.

If you can please read it, it's so inspiring!

marie x

[D0r0thyG]

Just have to agree Marie. I must admit, I'm not really a reader but this is a must. You can actually read it online here:

http://tiny.cc/SelfishPig

It's as if each and every one of us helped write it.

[Tonyd]

Happy anniversary John and Pat
wish you all the best

[Lazydaisy]

I have just read the first few pages and cried. I have mailed the link to my husband and said I would love this for Christmas.

One of the things that stuck out was in the introduction, saying that we come reluctantly to caring. I have said for a long time, that I did not choose to be a Carer. I choose to stay committed to the people I love, but just as they did not choose to have disabilities, I did not choose my role either. Thank you to all for recommending this book. I know that it will mean a lot to read it.(Shall I ask my husband for a big box of tissues too, I wonder?!)

[Guest]

I heard from Hugh that he is about to publish a second book, so we had better keep a look out for it.
Wendy

[Matt Hill]

I interviewed Hugh for our magazine and he has such an amazing story of how he and his wife dealt with her illness. I will try and dig out the interview and post it here.

[Matt Hill]

Here's the interview with Hugh. Article is (C) Carers UK from the August 2006 issue of our membership magazine 'Caring'. You can read the latest issue of Caring and find out about becoming a Carers UK member at http://www.carersuk.org/Aboutus/Joinus

[quote]
Voyage of discovery
Carers UK member Hugh Marriot knows all about caring, both on land and at sea.
He’s also written a book, ‘The Selfish Pig’s Guide to Caring’.

When the symptoms of Huntingdon’s Disease began to appear in
their lives, Hugh and Cathie Marriott knew the disease would be
life changing. Their remarkable response to Cathie having an
incurable and disabling disease was to be life changing itself. They
sold their house, bought a sailing boat, and embarked on what
was to become a nine-year voyage of discovery. By the time
Cathie could no longer safely clamber on board their boat, they
had visited 40 countries and sailed around the world.

Symptoms
Hugh and Cathie met when they were living in London, Hugh a
journalist and Cathie a researcher for the Consumer Association.
In their early days together they shared a dream of buying a boat
and sailing to the Mediterranean, but over the years life got in the
way – marriage and bringing up three children.
Over time, Hugh noticed that Cathie was developing
symptoms such as slurred speech and involuntary movements.
“Cathie’s doctors were saying they thought she had
Huntingdon’s, but we never knew for sure as there were no tests
back then so they couldn’t prove it.â€Â

[Itza]

I loved reading this book. There's so much truth in there.

I loved it so much I bought another one for my mother to give her a clue that the reason I won't be able to care for her and/or Dad* in their old age is NOT personal but situational: I have a severely disabled child who will need care for the rest of his life.

I don't know if she 'gets it' yet as she's never mentioned reading the book.

*Dad's not a problem, Mum is.

[Scally]

I heard from Hugh that he is about to publish a second book, so we had better keep a look out for it.
Wendy

Yes, apparently it follows the phase of his life after he left his wife on a number 312 bus heading for Bethnal Green and made a clean break for it. Finding himself in Milton Keynes he created a new identity and a new business with zero capital, where the local women threw themselves at him with abandon....

It's called]"Confessions of a Window Cleaner"[/b]