Monday 15 August 2011

House and Granny Sitting (Part 2)

I have been home for 36 hours.  It has taken me that long to even begin to recover from last week! As you will have seen from my previous blog, I have been house sitting for my bestest friend while she and her family were away on holiday.  At the end of the two weeks came the bombshell that her mother was being discharged from hospital following a hip replacement into my care at the house.  I've known her all my life.  She was my mother's best friend.  I have always spent Christmas with them. She is a formidable force and approaching her 80's. Cosy Granny she is NOT!

With 24 hours notice, I had to find the correct medical aids AND get them delivered before she arrived.  We are talking raised loo seat and frame, zimmer frame, shower stool and non slip mats.........to be honest not exactly a forte of mine!!  But I did it and it arrived within 5 minutes of her arrival the following day.  Not that she seemed impressed - or indeed grateful.  It was expected to be there, was there and therefore she felt no need to add to that.


Having spent the most part of the last two years in hospital as a patient, the care and nursing of her was not a problem. I was happy to do it.  I was happy to help her on the loo. I was happy to clean her.  I was happy to cook lovely meals for her (too much, not enough, more fruit, less fruit, where's the salad, why cant we have....) her husband and my BFs husband now that he had returned home.  I was even happy to get in the shower with her (to hold the soap and flannel) (yes yes I kept my clothes on but covered them with plastic!). I was happy to help her stand, sit, walk (too many cushions/not enough cushions, too high, too low, too fast, too slow)  Me?  I'm a happy happy bunny. AND CLEARLY A BUNNY THAT HAS THE WORDS USE ME TATOOED ON MY FOREHEAD.





No matter how sweet I was, how hard I tried to please her, it was always wrong.  Her words would lash at me like being hit by a wet tea towel.







My day would start at 7.00 taking a cup of tea in to her (too much, too strong, too weak, too hot,,,) and would end at about 11.00 p.m. having put her to bed. Shattered and battered I would crash and burn, up bright eyed (not) and bushy tailed (also not!) the next morning to start all over again.


Bearing in mind I was doing all this as an act of love and not as a paid carer (someone told me today that Agency live-in carers charge £250 a day - frankly that's too little!!!), I found her behaviour extraordinary - especially as she is an educated, articulate lady. 


I am back home now - and will cover for my BF during day times only -  tomorrow, Wednesday and Friday.  MUG that I am!!


In peace and love people!





XX

10 comments:

  1. And after Friday, it MUST be "never again"! What a foul, ungrateful old hag! You're amazing! Xx

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  2. Rory and Beth are exactly the same ungrateful beggars. Well done

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  3. I agree with Rob - those pesky kids are ungrateful buggers as well!!!

    You're not a mug, you're a top friend!

    WEll done on sorting Disqus, so much easier to comment/manage!

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  4. WOW! I want you as a friend! ;-) ... on a serious note well done. I suspect the old "lady" just loathed the thought of having to be looked after so much that she could not find it in her to put the vitriol towards her situation aside to show the gratitude for you.

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  5. LOL! There are probably alot of "reasons" why she behaved like that - lack of independence, pain etc etc but there are no "excuses".!!

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  6. Same next week - then hopefully that will be it! X

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  7. Oh wow. Think of your friends life from now on. It's like having another bossy child in the room. Does she do that to your friend?

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  8. Oh blimey, this reminds me of when my late father in law lived with us and literally expected me to pamper to his every whim. He made my life very miserable for 6 years until he eventually went into a home and died a couple of months later. I do think it's a generation thing. Him in particular, came from a family and background that just expected family to nurse them in old age. I guess nursing homes weren't as popular then.

    CJ xx

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  9. Yeh but..!!! Ok so that generation "expect it" but why be so mean and rude when all everyone is doing is trying to help and make their lives better?!! I have been truly amazed by such vileness this week - and they are the generation who are the first to condemn the rudeness and lack of respect from the youth of today!!! I'm learning to anticipate her every move so that she cant complain!! Tomorrow I kill her! X

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  10. hey?? where've u gone-missing ya! hope all's ok,

    lots love, tamsyn xxx

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