A Quick Update

 Busy, busy, busy but so lucky to have such amazing friends keeping me sane when everything gets too much

Also not forgetting Himself who's my absolute rock, who never complains when like yesterday a quick trip to my parents house to collect prescriptions and make up their pill pots, resulted in me unexpectedly doing the shopping and having to reassure dad about something he got the wrong end of the stick about, so I didn't arrive home until really late in the evening

Photo Description:- My mum sitting in her wheelchair in Tescos on our very first trip out shopping, she's wearing a blue coat and a poppy facemask

Also Boris and Eko who are putting up with irregular walks that are usually too short, irregular meal times and the fact I come home smelling like another person's dog that my parents (me) are looking after whilst her owner is in hospital 

Mum is in good health all things considering, but I'm still really struggling to persuade her to come out with me or do her physio

It's really shocking how a few people's careless and well meaning "poor you" comments about her stroke and needing a wheelchair at the beginning of mum feeling well enough to go out, have set her back

No matter how much I try to build her up about how well she's doing, it's in the back of her mind

She's a proud woman my mum and fiercely independent, she really hates people treating her so differently now. I've persuaded mum to use her walker if we go out as it was ruining my injured shoulder keep lifting the wheelchair in and out of the car as it's so heavy

Photo Description:- My mum sitting in the passenger seat of her car as we head out for our first ever shopping trip since her stroke and wearing her blue coat

I got mum a walker off freecycle with a seat so she can rest if she feels wobbly or tired, the one the physio gave her doesn't have a seat, so it wasn't much use as I'd have to take the wheelchair out too in case it was needed., we don't go far but it's a bit further each time we go out before mum needs a rest

Dad's struggling a lot at the moment due to the pain in his knee as his leg is now very bowed and swollen, plus with how much he does around the house because I can't be there 24 hours a day

Photo Description:- A photo of my dad's legs wearing beige shorts showing how swollen his right leg is

I've now got dad on the waiting list for a knee replacement, but it's going to be a very complicated surgery as it's been left for so very long

The specialist has told dad he must use a stick to reduce the risk of falls, one bad landing that damages his knee anymore than it already is then the surgery will most likely be off the table

I keep telling dad to use the stick and have also recruited several of the neighbours to remind him of his walking stick if they should see him leaving the house without it, sadly at this time dad is still refusing to use the stick, he's says it gets in his way

Dad had another fall the day before yesterday and a neighbour kindly helped him up after hearing dad calling, but I only got to hear about it via my brother as dad mentioned it to him on the phone in passing, so I phoned dad immediately to see if he was ok which he was thankfully

When I went round yesterday we again had the big chat that if he falls he must push the button on the Care Line pendant he now wears, then I can be notified and get round there straight away

His reasoning for not using the pendent is that he doesn't like to ask for help, so yet again I pointed out that that's what the pendant is for, so he wouldn't be left laying on the ground hoping somebody finds him to help 

I've also noticed that dad is now starting to get very forgetful, especially with important messages which can take several days for him to remember to tell me, at which point it's usually too late

I've now taken steps to change my parents house phone number to my mobile number on medical records for hospital appointments, GP visits, specialist phone consults and going for blood tests, which are practically a weekly occurance between the three of ust

It's so much easier for me now to book the appointments for times to suit me, rather than the stress of discovering I need to be in two places at once the day before an important appointment and then wasting so much time trying to rearrange everything

Sorry this turned out to be a not so quick update of what's been going on here recently 

Dawn xxx

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