Saturday 16 May 2009

Hi everyone. Life has not been good recently in any shape or form, so I’m afraid this isn’t going to be a particularly happy post and I apologise now.

Dad had a nasty fall at home at the end of March. He fell and hit his head on the wall, losing a lot of blood (which I had to try scrubbing out of the carpet for days without success) and ending up with a 3” cut at the back of his head, requiring stitches. Thankfully the neighbour popped in to see him and found him sitting on the sofa with blood pouring out of his head. Had he not come in to see Dad that evening, I really think he could have bled to death. He had amnesia and has had memory problems ever since. He was in hospital for 3 weeks and for the last few days was in a ward where he received appalling treatment (my subsequent complaint is currently being investigated) and so he discharged himself. He now receives care 3 times a day and the district nurses also come in daily to monitor his blood sugar levels. But here we are 3 weeks later and he is back in hospital. He’s had a really nasty bout of gastroenteritis and the doctors have been very worried about him, but today they seem to think he’s on the mend and should be home within a few days. Work have been very understanding and I’ve been able to take a few days leave when I’ve needed to. I’m also now working flexi hours, enabling me to have every other Friday off, so I can go and visit Dad weekly, rather than every other week. It’s been a very worrying time and Dad is far from well. His brother, who had similar health problems, passed away a few days after Dad went into hospital, two weeks after I’d taken Dad to see him – they hadn’t seen each other for nearly 20 years. Needless to say, we’re very glad that we went when we did. He went rapidly downhill in the last few days, poor thing, as he’d seemed in reasonably good health when we saw him. I also lost a good friend I'd met at my last job around the same time, who was terminally ill with cancer. She’d fought a brave battle and was a fighter right until the end.

It’s also not been a good time for kitties. Joy – the cat I’ve been looking after at my accommodation – was blind in one eye and last week, it suddenly went from being gungy one day to very sore and bleeding the next. Poor thing had an eye tumour. I contacted her ‘mum’, Becky, who is studying at uni, and she returned home and took her to the vet. She was 18 and it was likely that the tumour had spread to the area behind her eye, so Becky made the brave decision to have her put to sleep. The same week, my sister had to have her cat Bertie put to sleep as she had suddenly developed a large mass inside her.

Then today, I had to say goodbye to my beautiful baby girl, Bobbi. She’d not been eating and was drinking lots of water. She was skin and bones, poor thing, which happened very very quickly. So I made the best, but difficult decision to have her put to sleep. I feel so sad. I knew her from when she was a week old. She sat in the palm of my hand and mewed at me, before her eyes were even open, her beautiful golden eyes. She loved sitting in the garden in the sun and in the wintertime, loved to be curled up next to the fire. When she was happy and contented she would purr deeply, curl her tail around her legs and suck the end till it was soggy, like a child sucks its thumb for comfort. I will never forget her.


13 comments:

Michelle said...

I am sorry things are so rubbish at the moment Sam, but hope things start to look better really soon.

Looks like Bobbi was a beautiful cat-I am sorry you have had to say goodbye.

((((HUGS))))

Daffycat said...

***big hugs*** You poor dear. I hope life settles out for you soon.

BronnyB said...

((((((Hugs)))))))

You sound like you are trying to stay sure-footed while everything around you is going topsy-turvy. Stay strong - vent when you need to. We care.
((( Hugs )))

Z said...

{{{hugs}}} What a lot to deal with all at once.

Karoline said...

{{{{Sam}}}}

Kitty said...

Hugs :(

Sally said...

Oh Sam what an awful time you've been having. Lots of hugs coming your way.

Sharon said...

Dear heavena what a time for you and your Dad. I truly hope he is on the mend now. Hang in there. {{{hugs}}}

Cindy F. said...

Sam, I'm so sorry to hear about all these terrible illnesses and losses around you. I pray your dad is much better and home again soon.

Carmen said...

{{{hugs}}} so sorry for this awful time,is hard deal with all at once. I ope the light come soon to your home.

Kathy said...

Awwww Sam am soooooo sorry about the kitties. I sure hoe your dad getts better soon too.

Hugs xxxx

Juls said...

(((((((((Sam))))))))))) Keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers! Hope all is better very soon!

Pikaboo said...

I'm sorry things have been so rough lately. I hope things, and you dad, get better soon.