How I'm feeling...

[lillianjones]

Basically I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm so fed up of my constant headaches, this cough i've had for 7 weeks, i can feel a trickle of blood go down the INSIDE of my head - and there's only one doctor who i can go to and she's fully booked and i can never be seen to. I'm trapped in my own home, but whenever i go outside, i always wanna go back in.

I have two adorable lovely parrots, and a cat i've had for a number of years - so i never want to leave to go back to hospital or anything like that. But at the same time all three of them are alot to handle, considering i live on my own and that i have alzheimers and dementia, with diabetes tagged along. I have the three incurable diseases, just my luck.

And not to sound nasty, but i dont think this website has helped me like i was pressured to beleive it was. i hardly get any responses, and i really want some because i am so lonely and depressed. please can anyone help?

 

[KTY]

Hi lillian

We are all hear listening, sorry you didn't get any replies, it's not because we don't care, I suspect we all got cuaght up with lot's of other very sad stories. What you are facing alone must be terrifying, and I can see why you wouldn't want to leave the house. Is today one of those 'i've had enough days'? xx

 

[sonia owen]

Sorry

Hello,
So sorry you are not feeling too well, and things are becoming too much at the moment.
Maybe it would be a good idea to have a chat with your local Alzheimers support group, to see what help they could provide you to overcome how you are feeling at the moment. Many have their people who can and vist you in your own home for a chat and a gossip.
Sending you a hug.
Take care
Love Sonia xxx

 

[winda]

Hi Lillianjones,

So sorry to hear how you are suffering. It sounds as though you are in a depression and it is quite understandable. Has your doctor given you anything for this?
Do you have any friends or relatives who can come and visit you as you don't feel able to get out at the moment? If not, maybe you could pay for someone to come and keep you company for an hour or two each week.

Also it might be worth contacting SS for an assessment to see if they can suggest some support for you.

I don't know what else to suggest but I would certainly make an appointment to see your doctor asap and talk to him/her about how you are feeling.

Others will come along who will be able to advise you but please keep in touch with us and let us know how you are getting on. I'm sure that you won't be ignored any longer.xxx

Have just seen the above post so please ignore advice which has been repeated.

 

[linda1scot]

Lillian, just to let you know i have sent you a private message which should be in your inbox.

love linda xx

 

[Grannie G]

Hello Lilian

I`m really sorry you are unhappy with the lack of support you are getting from talking Point.

There is a section for people with dementia which might help you a little bit more. If you click on the link you will see.

http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/forumdisplay.php?56-I-have-dementia

Please feel free to post where you feel most comfortable.
Some people only read the sections they can best identify with, while others read all posts by clicking on New Posts or Today`s Posts at the top of the page.

Have you managed to find out if there are support groups in your area?

 

[CaPattinson]

Hello Lillian

I'm here too. I am sorry you don't feel supported here. Sometimes its hard to think of the right things to say, but I am very sorry you are feeling so down.

I think Social services might be able to offer you some help. Your nearest alzheimer society branch too.

You say there is only one doctor you can see? Is it possible to perhaps register with another? Waiting to see just one doctor must be so very frustrating.

you have 2 parrots and a cat what are their names? Can the parrots talk?

There is no pressure for you to post here, but I hope that you feel you can when you need support. I shall look out for your posts so that I can reply. I usually come into TP using the 'new posts' option.

I hope you feel a bit better soon Lillian, you are in my thoughts xxx

 

[hollycat]

the link below is for a befriending service that Age Uk run. My dad used a similar service years ago and it was a massive help to him.

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/health-well...ating-loneliness/a-vital-service-befriending/

I hope you find it useful

 

[tre]

Hello Lillian,
I am really sorry you are having such a tough time at present. No wonder you are feeling down having put up with this cough for all that time, especially if it is disturbing your sleep. I know what you mean about wanting to see a particular GP. At my surgery there is one that I prefer to the rest of them who cannot get you out of the door quickly enough and hardly bother to look up from the computer screen to greet you. Why don't you get an appointment with the one you like even if it is for three weeks ahead, especially as you have had this cough for seven weeks anyway. If it gets worse they will have to see you as an emergency anyway.
There was something I heard on the radio recently about some people having a cough as a side effect of some other drugs, I think it was either a blood pressure or cholesterol lowering drug so if you take anything else it might be worth checking this out with the doctor. I know you take the aricept and it was definitely not that drug causing the side effect.
You did say you were going to try some groups to meet people. I went to a group local to us but this was really only for carers support and I wanted something both my husband and I could go to together. However just after Christmas we tried another one and have met some really nice people so don't give up.
Same with us here on TP don't give up on us either.
Tre

 

[Dill]

Hi Lillian
I'm here too. I am sorry you feel so bad.
I would also like to know about your parrots and cat. I have 4 cats and 3 dogs and they are hard work.
Maybe if you saw another doctor you could have a chat with them, they will have notes about your previous visits.
I keep a sort of journal that helps me when I feel down, I write down 3 good things a day, little things usually, like seeing a different bird in the garden, or brushing the cat (one of mine is a ginger, longish coated moggy). I don't write every day, or it would become a necessity, but I find it helps a bit.
I hope you feel a bit better soon, please keep posting, there is always someone here to listen, even if they do not post straight away.

 

[chucky]

hi, im sorry to hear youre feeling so down, when we are physically ill everyone can see it. Mentally its almost invisible so i know when you say youre isolated how hard it must be for you. Just picking up on Tre's post, im diabetic too with high BP and one of the meds i take, the major side effect is a cough, so you may want to talk to your doc about that. I also have borderline sleep apnoea but as long as i dont sleep on my back im ok. Should i wake up on my back i almost always have a headache, another invisible sign of sleep apnoea. I stop breathing on my back even when im wakened. Please keep posting, there is always someone here. It does tend to be quieter during the day as most carers have hardly 5 minutes to themselves and its a bit more busy in the evenings so you might want to post then. Dont give up when weve hardly had time to get to know you, its not just for the illness either, we would like to hear more about YOU and your pets, home life, anything at all you want to talk about. Sometimes you'll get a laugh too! Once youve been here a while you'll see what a good place it is for support. Take care x

 

[tre]

Hello Lillian,
I am bit anxious that you have not replied yet and hope this is not because you are feeling worse. Please persevere with us on TP as I feel sure you will soon feel part of the community.
I had thought of sending you a private message about all this but decided this would be better as it bumps your thread up to the top again and there may be some posters online today who missed it before.
Let us know how you are doing,
Tre

 

[lillianjones]

I've got more faith now in this site, and I'd like to reply to all 10 of you in this one message, as i don't have the time to reply to all of you individually, but i would like to thank all of you for your lovely messages - for all the effort you took to get in touch. It means alot.

I have 2 parrots called Grumpy and Sasha (who is 48 years old), and a cat called Cindy. To answer a certain question: Yes the parrots do talk. They embarris me sometimes as they swear to my guests, but they dont take any offense. I love them so much. Grumpy doesn't talk to order, he waits until everyone's left the room and then he has a conversation with himself. He sounds like an old man, and whenever the phone rings he always shouts "Hello?". Sasha is very talkative, she talks whenever she wants. Her catchphrase is shouting "JIMMY!" and "Liverpool!". She is hilarious.

I must admit that with me feeling so low at the time, i find them hard work to look after, but i will never give them away as they are apart of my life. I am a widow, and have been for the last 8 years. Before that i was also a widow to my first husband. I have 4 children and 20 grandkids, and nearly 12 great grandkids, but i never see them much as most of them are spread out across the country.

I have joined a local alzheimers group which my carer/grandson takes with me every thursday, and i am finding it very useful. This will be the 3rd week i will be attending. Please forgive me for not replying back quickly, as i am hardly on the computer, but rest assured that i will always reply back - whenever it's straight away or a few days after.

Once again, thank you for your lovely responses. Take care, love Lillian xx

 

[chucky]

Hi Lillian, its good you feel a bit more comfortable with TP. You'll find support in abundance and gain insight in to others and their daily lives. I love your parrots talking like grumpy old men, animals are so cute. I lost my little budgie last september, he was 3 days away from his 12th birthday and i have to say i cried and sobbed all weekend. He spoke too, and had quite a few phrases, it was nice to hear him say nite nite when i went to bed. Birds are great company, most animals are. Glad to hear youre mood is picking up .Somedays will be good, some bad, but you will always find a listening ear here even if its just for a chat in general. You dont need to hold back with your thoughts, air them and someone will come along and share their experience. Keep talking. Take care, x

 

[eskimojo]

hiya Lillian
i have 4 sight houndies 1 greyhound 2 whippets and a lurcher pup...i know what you mean by wanting to go out and then as soon as you are out wanting to go back again...i also have early on set dementia...i am 43 years old and lucky enough have my family to support me but my biggest pleasure in life are my pets...they give me a reason to get up in the mornings and carry on and go out as they all need walkies...but not allowed to go out by myself any more as i forget things like looking befor i cross the road...i havent been on here much recentley as i fell in the garden doing the lovely job of poo picking
keep posting as i do and you will find most people on here will always help and advise as best they can
take care
jo x

 

[bets daughter]

Hi Lillian , sorry you had a dissappointing start on TP, im glad to see its really improved for you , im sorry you are unwell at the moment , i hope your GP can sort it out soon! .Your pets sound enchanting i love the story about your parrot talking it sounds a real joy ,it reminds me of my Mother in law ( SCOTTISH ) who had a grey parrot called Chico who swore like trooper in a (Glasgow accent )it also escaped once and was caught and taken to the Police station when MIL arrived it was sat on a chair saying i want my solicitor .It also played ball with the children and climbed the stairs to go to bed , amazing creature , i thought you may be interested Hope you soon feel a little better and like everyone is saying keep posting ,look forward to seeing you on here next time kind regards Margaret

 

[lillianjones]

Thank you chucky and eskimojo for your responses.

We will all have those days, like i did a few days ago, and then those days where you put up with it and get on with your day. After all, no matter what disease or illness we have - we are all human.

Love Lillian x

 

[Dill]

Hi Lillian
Hope you are feeling a bit better the last day or so. I loved hearing about the parrots especially Grumpy and him shouting hello when the phone rings
I don't have any birds but I did hear and then see a woodpecker in the garden, which cheered me up.
Glad to hear you are enjoying the local alzheimers group, what sort of things do you do there?
Take care.

 

[CaPattinson]

hi Lillian, I'm glad too that you feel better about posting on TP.

thank you for sharing your stories about yourfamily and your pets. 48 years old! wow,I didn;t know parrots lived to that ripe old age!

I have 2 canaries called Bonnie and Clyde and a budgie called Fred.

I'm glad you're getting out on a Thursday!

Keep in touch Lillian, you're not alone, we're here

 

[lillianjones]

Parrots can live to 100 years old, so Sasha isn't even half way through her life yet!

Thank you all again so much for your responses

My local alzhiemers group do quizzes about the old days, then we split up and play different games like scrabble and dominoes. but im no good at games, i just sit down and chat with some of the people in the group, i prefer that. They are all very lovely and so caring. My grandson/carer comes the group with me. He's an Actor and he entertains everyone adores him. He does card tricks aswell.

Thanks again, all of you take care xx