I can't thank you all enough ... I am somewhere still between angry and weepy ........ it's been an extraordinary day of highs and lows .... trying to get hold of CPNs, snarling at chemists (whole tale behind that I won't bore you with!!!) .... on first name terms now with every receptionist in GP practice ..... (must remember to buy box of choccies for them tomorrow!) ...... Mum finally has her 'Fortisips' ... managed to do some 'clearing out' and persuade her certain clothes really did need to go thru the washer
- my wonderful boss assured me to take what time it needs to sort things out and we'll worry about leave later ...... coaxed mum into two spoonfuls of soup, two bites of a prawn 'sarnie' and same of stewed apple and cream over the course of several hours ...... somehow she swallowed the huge anti-biotic capsules ..... (why didn't I think to ask or doc prescribe liquid?) .......
In what is a pretty horrid time - it has actually been quite a remarkable day - I never usually get to spend so much time with mum in one particular day ...(how sad it has taken this infection to precure that?) .... and whilst I was scared at a lot of 'observations' - we have actually laughed together ..... (I think mum wants to be a Loose Woman!!!!!!
..for anyone who watches that!!! She even recognised there was something a bit risque about it all ......it was so sad - one minute I was just watching her dozing in her chair ... the next she was raising her eyebrows and laughing ...... ) Somehow even wading through her wardrobes turned into a hoot ..... realising her weight loss and the 'glam' she once was to where she is now ..... but hugging that tiny frame was precious today ....
Then I came home and rang St Sis. (Mum's sister-once-in-a-blue-moon visitor with whom I have a mutual agreement for reasons not appropriate to disclose here that we avoid each other like the plague). I felt it was right she was made aware just how ill mum is at the moment (although we are hoping this is temporary of course). She mentioned she had been thinking of getting the bus to Manchester if mum could meet her there at which point - every drop of guilt oozed from my body!!!!!!!
"You really think mum is capable of getting a bus into the city centre and meeting someone? Do you realise how long it is since she was capable of doing that?" I start to realise that I am maybe not so bad after all .... this is mum's next next-of-kin if I were to walk away ....... what chance would she have in her care?
Ten minutes later, St Sis is back on phone having arranged a 'lift' to see mum directly - that's guilt for you, methinks ... so I have been a big brave girl and told her not to come .....
if she can't be bothered any other time don't wait for me to prompt her ....
Now I'm guilty of having lost an opportunity for mum to see her sister ..... (loyalty is one-way traffic between them) ... but she isn't going to know what meds mum needs tomorrow or sort out her daycare or anything else either is she? What's HER excuse?
Sorry, total ramble, Karen, x