This is both an apology and an explaination as to why i havnt been her as much as i'd of liked to over the past couple of weks. 2 weeks ago i found out that both my mother and father had been admitted to hospital within a few days of each other. They live about 1200km from where i live. Mum had a fall overnite and wasnt found till the next day, and my dad who has lived in a nursing home for 2 years was admitted very unwell, dehydrated and in need of a blood transfusion (still not sure where he is bleeding from
) I have just returned from the trip over there to see them both.
Please forgive me but this is a copy and paste from another group i belong to....i dont have the strength to write it out twice, it hurts too much ( i hope you all forgive me for that)
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Well its been a very long and difficult 10 days or so. I made the trip there and back fairly ok i guess, broke the drive (2,400km) into 4 parts coz its a long enough trip to begin with without dodging thousands of stoopid goats and a gazillion and 3 roos
My mom had fairly well recovered by the time i got there from scepticemia secondary to a UTI and kidney stone, she is still a little weak but thankfully slowly regaining her appetite and strength. Because both my sister (who lives there) and myself had to leave on sunday the good doctors agreed to put her in a private hospital till sat/sunday when my sister returns so she has somewhere to be till she is stronger. She does live in a house by herself just around the corner from my auntie, has a lady from homecare in once a week to do major cleaning and shop for her, but when she is well she is quite independant and gets around town very well and goes to the club now and then, pretty good considering her age i think. My auntie (mums sister) also lives there but she is in her 70's as well tho she is a tad unwell herself.
But my dad isnt very well at all He has advanced Vascular Dementia and unfortunately all of the cruel symptoms ...... he is very rarely lucid, hardly knows where he is, lives full time in a nursing home where he is completely dependant on the nurses for all basic needs like being fed (tho on good days he can water and feed himself if the food is cut up) showered, taken to the toilet and ( this once great and proud man is now has the indignity of having to wear nappies with little control over bodily functions) in his mind he basically now lives in a past that only he has the key to He also has diabetes, hypertension, has had 4 strokes and many TIA's, has serious cardiac problems and had a pacemaker inserted a few years ago to keep it beating. His voice is no longer the one i grew up with....it is mostly weak, slurred and uncertain. In the event of an arrest my sister knows and has talked with all his many doctors and nurses and he is now considered NFR Its a really wonderful nursing home with amazing staff but it hurts to say he is basically slowly dieing.......
I hadn't seen him in a while and the change in him broke my heart into a million pieces....... but now i've seen this place and now the staff a little better at least i know he is being well taken care of, the staff adore him and think he is adorable, so that reassures me a bit.
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I have a lot of catching up to do here, soooo many new posts to read and i am SO happy to see this wonderful site growing!!!!!!!!
A huge big congrats to everyone here for making this a great place to come to and be a part of, oh and its really cool to see the many 'familiar' faces who have found there way here too!!!!
love and thanks,
flossy *huge hugs*
