A home visit, for David, from the CPN last wek proved very successful. She wanted to meet him in his home patch which meant she would like to meet me too. Beetroot chutney making ha already been planned for my morning s he was greeted by a rather blood red me. She never flinched. She laughed though when the hens appeared as 'someone' had left the dor open. Wel she wanted to meet us all!
Easy to talk with I left David in hr capable hands returning only when my input was asked for.
David was honest with her - mostly - although hedid play down many symptoms and actions. And of corsethe pain wasunder control. A survival techniques we all have so as not to stand out and be different from the pack. Stand out and you show you are vulnerable to predadtors. I tried not to correct him and let him use his own words but when he was clearly strugging to getthose words right she asked him if it would be OK tolet me help.
Anyway big dos and litle dos, chutney finished, hens shooed ack out and she came to the 'good' news. NHS Lanarkshire runs 8 week course fr people such as David and so happens one course was starting this week and she could offer him a place. My heart sank as he is not good ingroup therapy and I knew whathe would say. Wrong. He said OK would give it a try. I was so proud of him and wanted to cry. he is trying so hard and wants to get better - or as better as any chronic pain member can. Meeting us all half way rather than expecting another pill or magic wand can only be a YES.
Off he went tuesday having been collected by mini bus retrnig over 2 hours later almost falling over his words to tell me. Just hiself and 3 others on the curse with 2 members of staff and a trainee. Yup almost one to one. The other 3 gentlemen has all grown up in a neighbouring village, moved away and lost contact. How extraordinary that they should meet again under these circumstances? So lots of 'do you remembers'.
Being the first meet it was mainl about introductions and why they were in 'low mood'. David was the only one with CP although 2 others did have pain of lesser degrees. Next week will be about medication. Like most CP members David has an ology in those! We are away so will miss out but he has firm plans to continue on our return.
As a carer it was a strange feeling being here on my own for those few hours. A feeling of guilt, shared by most carers, that somehow you have pushed that other person out. Sort of dumped them on to someone else. Funny cos al the things I could have done and i did none. Just worried he wouldbe OK. Would they understand when he said one thing and meant something different? Would he be home in 10mins having walked out? I know these are felt by carers and it rarely happens that staff aren't wonderful but there is still that what if?
Interestingly the CPN when she was here did say that they have found very small groups works wel. No one can sit in a corner and be ignored. They have a set list of topics they cover and success rate is high.
Thank you NHS lanarkshire Thank you CPN. But most of all thank you David..
Pat x
xx
Good & Bad News
