-
- Member
Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:19 pm
Hi Everyone,
I'm new here. I'm nearly 40 and have been caring for my Grandmother for the past 11 years. In 2002 she had a series of tia's(mini strokes) which led her to having three full blown strokes.After the first stroke she wasn't even admitted to hospital, she came home with me and I nursed her back to health on my own(there was no help offered or available), my husband and I gave up our bed for the duration of her stay, sleeping on the lounge floor whilst she was with us. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in Jan 2004(the day after my ex husband had passed away(renal failure), at that time I had to hide my emotions for the sake of my eldest two children and my youngest who was three at the time. I became very ill in Nov 2006, it was later diagnosed as gallstones, in March 2007 my eldest son tore his anterior cruciate ligament(which involved a lot of running back and forth to the hospital)also Jan of the same year my husband was admitted to hospital after a routine chest x-ray showed a suspected collapsed lung, this was later found to be a bullae(a big air pocket taking up most of the space of his right lung). This he had open surgery for in August last year a procedure that nearly killed him(6 months off work), he still suffers a great deal of nerve pain from the surgery and also became severely depressed. My son had his knee surgery 2 weeks before Xmas and I had my gallbladder removed one week before Xmas. Trying to keep everything together during the past year has been HARD. My illness caused me to lose a lot of weight before surgery I was down to 7 stone. My Grandmother is 91 now and for the past year she has been in and out of hospital with renal failure, still we can get no help!!!! The past 2 Christmases I've spent at the hospital with her, One admission on Xmas day, and last Xmas she was admitted the day after I'd come out of hospital after having my operation and I was phoned to get to the hospital quickly as they were losing her(no mean feat when you rely on buses and trains). She was admitted to hospital again 10 days ago and I fear the fight has gone out of her, she has not been eating or drinking, can't move out of the bedside chair is very weak and confused AND I walk into the hospital today to be told she is better and going to be discharged later this week. As I said earlier I'm her main carer, I wash her, dress her prepare food for her, shop for her, do her housework and laundry, the same things I've been doing for the last 11 years. The hospital have decided that they are going to put a care package together for her without discussing her needs with me, which I'm not happy about, it seems my input is not needed because I don't claim carers allowance, I do however spend on average 40 hours a week looking after her and managing her affairs as well as looking after my own household of 5!!!!
Sorry to be sooooooooooo long winded I could go on for a lot longer!!!!!
Is how I feel !!!!!
I'm new here. I'm nearly 40 and have been caring for my Grandmother for the past 11 years. In 2002 she had a series of tia's(mini strokes) which led her to having three full blown strokes.After the first stroke she wasn't even admitted to hospital, she came home with me and I nursed her back to health on my own(there was no help offered or available), my husband and I gave up our bed for the duration of her stay, sleeping on the lounge floor whilst she was with us. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in Jan 2004(the day after my ex husband had passed away(renal failure), at that time I had to hide my emotions for the sake of my eldest two children and my youngest who was three at the time. I became very ill in Nov 2006, it was later diagnosed as gallstones, in March 2007 my eldest son tore his anterior cruciate ligament(which involved a lot of running back and forth to the hospital)also Jan of the same year my husband was admitted to hospital after a routine chest x-ray showed a suspected collapsed lung, this was later found to be a bullae(a big air pocket taking up most of the space of his right lung). This he had open surgery for in August last year a procedure that nearly killed him(6 months off work), he still suffers a great deal of nerve pain from the surgery and also became severely depressed. My son had his knee surgery 2 weeks before Xmas and I had my gallbladder removed one week before Xmas. Trying to keep everything together during the past year has been HARD. My illness caused me to lose a lot of weight before surgery I was down to 7 stone. My Grandmother is 91 now and for the past year she has been in and out of hospital with renal failure, still we can get no help!!!! The past 2 Christmases I've spent at the hospital with her, One admission on Xmas day, and last Xmas she was admitted the day after I'd come out of hospital after having my operation and I was phoned to get to the hospital quickly as they were losing her(no mean feat when you rely on buses and trains). She was admitted to hospital again 10 days ago and I fear the fight has gone out of her, she has not been eating or drinking, can't move out of the bedside chair is very weak and confused AND I walk into the hospital today to be told she is better and going to be discharged later this week. As I said earlier I'm her main carer, I wash her, dress her prepare food for her, shop for her, do her housework and laundry, the same things I've been doing for the last 11 years. The hospital have decided that they are going to put a care package together for her without discussing her needs with me, which I'm not happy about, it seems my input is not needed because I don't claim carers allowance, I do however spend on average 40 hours a week looking after her and managing her affairs as well as looking after my own household of 5!!!!
Sorry to be sooooooooooo long winded I could go on for a lot longer!!!!!
Is how I feel !!!!!
