Free For All on Friday

Hello everyone, the day's dawned again! Friday! For some, a feeling that the weekend's coming, but for many people, especially carers, it sometimes signifies little, as care has to go on 24/7, regardless. Thinking especially this Friday of all of you who really need a break from all of your hard work and responsibilities.

With that in mind I'd like to commend the Alzheimer's Society's new fund raising ad campaign. Have any of you seen the new ad? I saw it online in the middle of something I was watching, only yesterday, and whilst I usually find that an annoying intrusion, I really watched this one with interest.

It features the pressure a carer is under when looking after a loved one, acknowledging how unlikely it is that any help or respite will be provided and pointing out that not only one life suffers from this horrible disorder, but two and often even more. And actually that goes for anyone who is a carer, for any reason. I thought it really hit the spot and I hope it's successful for them, though really how much better it would be if someone, some day, would really give some official and statutory help to all carers as well!

I hope you've all had some moments of pleasure in the past week in this rather bleak month. Somehow though by this time in January my thoughts do start to turn to brighter evenings and the hope that spring will be coming along in a little while.

Meantime, it being Friday, you are welcome to post off-topic if you'd like to, keeping inside the care community guidelines, of course.

And a very warm welcome to anyone who has come to this community lately. Please add your own thoughts and ask any questions you have. We are all here waiting to help and support!

Take care and keep warm!

[Jennymary]

I've had a decent week, went to a, larger supermarket last Sunday, Monday my Red Cross support worker came out for the first time, we headed towards the local shops but I couldn't quite get there, but it meant I'd been out 2 days in a row, she's coming again next week and bringing, hopefully, a rollator for me to try. I had a check up on the hip yesterday, it's all good and I've been discharged 😊my current sick note lasts until tomorrow so I've emailed work to see what to do, whether or not to renew it, also starting next week, twice weekly for 4 weeks I've got a physio coming out to help me build my confidence outside, so the dilemma, us do I do another sick note to cover this help or do I start back and incorporate the physio into my daily activities, it's only for 4 weeks

[Hidden in reply to Jennymary]

You're doing remarkably well Jennymary! I suppose it's best not to go back to work and find it was a bit too soon after all, but I can understand that you probably want to get back again as soon as you can. Whatever's decided, I hope it all works out OK!

[Lynd in reply to Jennymary]

Sounds as if you need a little more time off. Good luck x

[Hidden]

Finally had my blood test this morning at the surgery that I have had to have waited 6 weeks for an 9am so a nice early start this morning here!

The last time I went to that surgery was back in January 2020 just before everything shut down and I can remember sitting in the crowded waiting room there but today there wasn't that many waiting and they only allow a certain amount in the waiting room now but it has reopened!

I got called in early for my blood test and it hardly took any time at all but I was anxious though in the run up to it but made myself go anyway and I left the surgery feeling proud of myself and my sister in law who waited for me outside the surgery doors said how proud of me She is as well and how she is always proud of me but extra proud today!

They said to ring them next Friday for the results after 11.30am.

After the blood test we went for a walk in Roath park which was cold but enjoyable and then to the local shops to have an early lunch and get some bread as our supplies were low and then back home to sit and watch TV and relax for this afternoon.

Baby is well and is 18 in April so we are doing her an 18th birthday party!

Yesterday it was foggy here and the internet had gone down so in the morning I decided to make some ready dinners up and that had taken up the whole morning and had a walk later on and job hunting later when the internet was back on!

A valuable lesson I have learned from the pandemic is how very very little in life is urgent and important so when I rearranged yesterday's planned tasks I had asked myself about job hunting online can it wait until later and yes it most certainly could!

Very very little in life needs to be done NOW is another lesson taken away from all this!

On Christmas Eve we had gone out for a drink at the Duke of Wellington pub and then to viva Brazil and I had said then how I feel health is one of the rare things in life that really is important!

Most matters when I ask myself if it urgent and important nowadays the answer is no and it can easily wait!

That job I went for last Thursday I never got and I was happy when they said I hadn't got the job as I hadn't wanted it anyway after a member of staff was rude to me there and the interview process was disorganised so I was happy to be told I hadn't got the job as I wouldnt have taken it anyway!

Next Wednesday at 11 I have an interview for a job at the Royal Gwent Hospital and I am setting off early and having a walk in the park next door to the place before my interview.

[sassy59 in reply to Hidden]

You did well having your blood test today Catgirl, nice and early too. I agree many things in life aren’t really important but good health certainly is. Hope all goes well next Wednesday. Fingers crossed. Xxx🤞🏼👍

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Happy you got through with your blood test Catgirl, and it's true things have certainly changed in GP surgeries since the start of the pandemic! Definitely Baby should have an 18th birthday party. She's an amazing cat and it's good she remains so well! And of course, very good luck for your interview next week!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Back last summer we had gone to the national lido of Wales up in Pontypridd and had made our own lunches and taken them with us and at the lido we saw an old colleague from the toxic job with her 2 kids and we all had lunch together in the park and I said how Baby is well and is 17 and they had said that they were shocked how Baby is still around at 17 and my sister in law had said how Kitten is in rude health probably because she is spoilt and they had said to my sister in law how they had heard all the stories about Baby and how Baby is a very spoilt cat!

The old colleague has 2 black and white cats who are sisters and are 12!

She had left that job back in 2013 and said how she had also left for the same reason I had was that she couldn't stand the attitudes of the management there and I said about the events that had led up to me making the decision to leave back in 2019 and how I still stand by the fact it was the right choice for me was leaving and my old colleague said that she also felt I had made the right decision in leaving as well!

Her 2 are growing up now and she is looking for a job near where she lives and the excuse for leaving She had given to management was that she was leaving to look after the kids and the cats full time which was lies and I said how I had made up a story about a career break which had been lies as well as you cant exactly say directly I'm leaving because I can't stand your nasty attitude towards me and other staff!

Her 2 had turned their noses up at the veg in pontypridd market saying how they don't like turnips or butternut squash and we said how its always the way the things that are good for you don't taste very nice!

[sassy59]

Hello Callendersgal, sorry I’m late to the party (oops, not the best analogy perhaps….lol) but I’ve been entertaining my 4 year old grandson and the time has just gone. I’ve not seen the Alzheimer’s Society Ad but will certainly look out for it. Dementia is very difficult for all and l feel for carers who do a wonderful job as do all carers of course. My son-in-law is trying to help his mother and her partner to get the care they both need. No easy task.

A quiet week really and we can’t wait for spring to get here. Pete was meant to have his second shingles jab today but a red rash on his cellulitis leg put paid to that. He’s had a blood test and antibiotics instead. The jab can wait.

Nice to hear from anyone and everyone anytime there’s a spare moment.

Take care all and have a good weekend. Xxx💜

[Hidden in reply to sassy59]

Years ago I used to work in a nursing home as a care assistant and there were patients there with dementia who would say nasty things to you and the trained nurse would say about taking the things with a pinch of salt and how they weren't meant and just the illness talking.

Things like the shingles jab can be rearranged if you aren't well!

This morning my sister in law said to me was I feeling well in myself no cold or flu type symptoms of anything as if there were to ring the surgery to change the appointment and I said no I was fine to go just worried but that was something I could overcome and better to go than nothing so off we went!

We had a nosy on the jobs board this afternoon and that job I went for last week that I was happy I never got was there getting readvertised so it appears either no one got the job or the person they offered it to turned it down and I feel it was a blessing in disguise not having it offered as it was only a 12 month temporary contract anyway!

Looking back I feel not getting offered any of the jobs I went for in late 2019/early 2020 just before everything shut down was a blessing in disguise really and a lot of the time when I look back on not having things I wanted as time as gone on I have come to realise it was a blessing in disguise as what I wanted wasn't what was best for me.

One example of this is back in 2015 we were looking for a new house and had our sights set on places where the toxic job was that I left in 2019 which we never got and had ended up with a place staying in the same area of the city which is a great area as its central with the Brook and the Edwardian parks.

Nowadays now time has passed by I do feel it was a blessing in disguise not having got those houses near that job as I feel I would have hated living up that way and those places weren't right for me personally.

I feel when things are for you they won't go by you!

[Hidden in reply to sassy59]

Hi sassy59, entertaining a 4 year old definitely keeps you on your toes, but lovely at the same time! They are such energetic good and innocent fun. Yes, roll on spring. I can't help longing for it but then think I shouldn't be wishing my life away. Can't help myself though! So sorry about Pete and I hope the antibiotics help quickly. And I hope he'll be fine to have the second shingles injection as it's really important to have that protection too. I was lucky and only needed the one dose but I know two are sometimes necessary. Enjoy your weekend! xx 👍😊💖🙏🌈

[sassy59 in reply to Hidden]

👍🤗💜💕🤞🏼🌹🧡

[Hellebelle]

Hi Callendersgal,

I must look out for the Alzheimers ad. It sounds really good and much needed in these times when help of any kind is so hard to come by.

Much of the work carers provide is behind closed doors and hidden from view. The fact that they save the country billions as they provide mostly unpaid care is largely forgotten. It's about time this was recognised. At the very least respite should be provided so that carers have time to look after their own wellbeing. After all, if carers get sick and are unable to fulfill their role, then everything falls to pieces.

I really hope everyone has a good weekend and is able to have a little time for themselves.

Helen xx

[Hidden in reply to Hellebelle]

As always you are spot on with your comments on the Care situation Helen! It's never been harder than right now either! xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

We all feel here that these care places have used covid as a shield to hide behind for bad behaviour!

It's so frustrating isn't it when places who are paid to help us can sort something out with us but won't!

[Lynd]

Absolute disaster of a day for us.All my fault. The long awaited hospital appointment was today.

I slept through the alarm. The hospital is twenty miles away.

No way could we make it on time.

The hospital are sending us another appointment.

Feel I have really let my husband down.

Hope others are having a better time.

[Hidden in reply to Lynd]

Thing is we all make mistakes but the main thing is to look for the lesson in them to learn from.

I couldn't sleep last night as I was anxious over today's blood test so took advantage and started the day early leaving lots of time to get sorted out.

Thing is like my sister in law said today when I said how Now time has passed by I feel by accident management at my old job did me a favour by bullying me out of the place she had said how when things like that happen at the time it can feel like the world has ended same as missing the hospital appointment this morning must have felt to you like the world had ended and the sky had fallen.

Yes when I got bullied out of that job back in 2019 when that happened to me it had felt like the world had ended bit now time has passed I have accepted it and say confidently how I have left that place behind and those bullies in the dust!

[Hidden in reply to Lynd]

Oh Lynd, please don't be hard on yourself. You are doing a fabulous job with Jim and it's not surprising at all that you could and would sleep through an alarm. Everyone who is a carer gets absolutely exhausted and try as you might it all eventually catches up with you. It was unfortunate that it happened to be on the day of the hospital appointment, but you will be given another. Jim would hate you to blame yourself I'm sure, and whilst in ordinary circumstances I'd say it was a bad thing to miss a hospital appointment, you have the best reason in the world for failing to make it on just this one occasion. Imagine if there was no you.... then how would Jim feel and cope because no one would look after him as devotedly as you do! xx

[thara9643]

This afternoon I did some proper cooking. Yesterday I met a new cleaner and went for a untimed nature walk after the initial interview that took a hour. This morning I listened to the radio alone and also happily did two lots of paperwork plus a word search at lunchtime. Tomorrow is my weekly French class and possibly the cinema at night. On Thursday afternoon I could either play a game of tennis or do some required food shopping in a supermarket. Not sure about Friday however. I may visit a local museum for a while, go for a nice picnic or stay at home. I will email another local potential cleaner tomorrow morning and then conduct a Zoom or telephone interview this week.