Hi i only joined yesterday and have been looking around the forum a bit and if i may would like to tell you about my dear dad.
Dad is 58 and from the age of 17 he was thrown from a horse which landed on him causing severe damage to his bladder and broke his spine. He spent along time in hospital way back then living in Ireland and came here when he was 24, met and married my dear mum.
My childhood was spent visiting my dad in hospital which he also had TB and absess'es on his spine and had countless operations.
Dad spend alot of time too as had a stricture (had to have his bladder stretched every 3 months) at the hospital too. Many times this went badly wrong and they punctured his bowel or bladder and was in intensive care.
When i was in my twenties dad had to take early retirement from work and after many many tests etc again was diagnosed with Vertebral Artery Insufficiency whereby the basilar artery to the brain became kinked and blood was't getting through to his brain. What we didn't know this was the onset of Dementia after many TIA'S.
Dad was also diagnosed with menieres Disease. Sp! and his balance would go most days and he would vomit and loose his memory and other very worrying symptons too.
This continued for many years until he was eventually diagnosed with Multi infarc Dementia and also contracted an auto Immune disease called Pemphigus Vulgaris which has his whole body covered in pus filled blisters and was bandaged from head to foot. In all those years my dad never every moaned or complained about anything.
That was the kind of man he was.
My mum took early retirement in her mid fifties to care for dad and is still doing now (dad is now 85 and mum 80). Mum has had Crohns for many years and also now had COPD which is taking its toll.
About the past ten years or so our family have had to fight for care with dad and mum is sick to death of ANOTHER SS ringing up again saying they are changing dads care again. Now dad is needing alot more care we just can't seem to get it.
We are fighting to even get a Gp out now or a nurse and as for care in the home well that's a joke.
The past few years dad goes into respite once a week each month and day care twice a week to another care home and that is now going to alter after Christmas again. All down to funds and MONEY.
Being very ill myself ( i am mostly bedbound) i feel so damn helpless that i can't do more for them now when they need my help the most. I have Fibromyalgia and ME and am in constant pain/stiffness and severe fatigue.
Now it is looking like my dad is going to need full time care and will end up somewhere he dosn't want to go or be which is going to make mum worse with her health.
Sorry for the rant but who cares about the carer and who cares about my dear dad.
Just very upset today and feeling very down about life.
J x
Dad is 58 and from the age of 17 he was thrown from a horse which landed on him causing severe damage to his bladder and broke his spine. He spent along time in hospital way back then living in Ireland and came here when he was 24, met and married my dear mum.
My childhood was spent visiting my dad in hospital which he also had TB and absess'es on his spine and had countless operations.
Dad spend alot of time too as had a stricture (had to have his bladder stretched every 3 months) at the hospital too. Many times this went badly wrong and they punctured his bowel or bladder and was in intensive care.
When i was in my twenties dad had to take early retirement from work and after many many tests etc again was diagnosed with Vertebral Artery Insufficiency whereby the basilar artery to the brain became kinked and blood was't getting through to his brain. What we didn't know this was the onset of Dementia after many TIA'S.
Dad was also diagnosed with menieres Disease. Sp! and his balance would go most days and he would vomit and loose his memory and other very worrying symptons too.
This continued for many years until he was eventually diagnosed with Multi infarc Dementia and also contracted an auto Immune disease called Pemphigus Vulgaris which has his whole body covered in pus filled blisters and was bandaged from head to foot. In all those years my dad never every moaned or complained about anything.
That was the kind of man he was.
My mum took early retirement in her mid fifties to care for dad and is still doing now (dad is now 85 and mum 80). Mum has had Crohns for many years and also now had COPD which is taking its toll.
About the past ten years or so our family have had to fight for care with dad and mum is sick to death of ANOTHER SS ringing up again saying they are changing dads care again. Now dad is needing alot more care we just can't seem to get it.
We are fighting to even get a Gp out now or a nurse and as for care in the home well that's a joke.
The past few years dad goes into respite once a week each month and day care twice a week to another care home and that is now going to alter after Christmas again. All down to funds and MONEY.
Being very ill myself ( i am mostly bedbound) i feel so damn helpless that i can't do more for them now when they need my help the most. I have Fibromyalgia and ME and am in constant pain/stiffness and severe fatigue.
Now it is looking like my dad is going to need full time care and will end up somewhere he dosn't want to go or be which is going to make mum worse with her health.
Sorry for the rant but who cares about the carer and who cares about my dear dad.
Just very upset today and feeling very down about life.
J x