Shared Colds, Sleep and SDS...

Hi guys, it's a Caring sharing kinda thing - Coo shared his cold with me! Cheers!

What a time, it's been!
Thankfully, Coo began to improve before I came down with it and that made things a whole lot easier!

so... after gallons of hot drinks and sooky sweeties and a week virtually hiding under a wee cosy blanket - I'm back good as new..yeah!
Thank goodness for our SDS (Self Directed Support)- Gone are the days of struggling on alone and so dreadfully tired! At least, this time, I was able to timetable in some proper sleep and I really think that is what helped kick that awful cold sooner rather than later!

This week, I felt better and I even made it up to Glasgow for my meeting with Carers Scotland. It's always a productive meeting there as the Advisory Group has Carers from all over Scotland. It's good to network, find out just what is working (or not for that matter!) all over Scotland!
If something is working well for Carers anywhere in Scotland? Well, we want to know and we want share it too don't we!

I sure hope that's me finished with coughs and sneezes, well, for a wee while at least and I'm sure glad the sun's made an appearance again so...we're ok and everything's rosy! lol

Hope things are a wee bit rosy where you are too!
(((hugs)))
Maz x

SDS, Sleep and Struggle...

Hi guys, it's all still a bit of a struggle here!

We're only just touching afternoon and already my thoughts are returning again to sleep! Where Carers are concerned, I bet I'm not alone in that one!

Sleep is such a valuable commodity for Carers. In fact it's the key to surviving and the difference between drowning and reaching a happy shore, so to speak!
You can probably tell, Coo's antibiotics have not kicked in yet. It's seizure city here and there's been no let up. I'm monitoring things, pumping in the meds and still hoping for the best for a turn around soon...and there may well be! It's not unheard of for Coo to respond quickly and be fine really quickly too so...fingers crossed!

Being stuck in at home again, my thoughts have returned to what it was like before we had our SDS (Self Directed Support), care package in place and while it's still difficult now, even in crisis, it was a whole lot worse in those days! No sleep, no real help and a constant struggle bouncing (literally), from seizure to seizure and trying to hold it all together - it's a hard, difficult position and sadly one, a lot of Carers still find themselves and that is dire!

At least I know, however bad things are, at some point...I will sleep! and what a difference that makes, just to know if I can hang on today, tonight sleep will come!
I know most people take this most basic of human needs for granted but I also know, I'm one of the lucky ones as too many Carers are still struggling on alone and with little real respite! That's why I try to influence those in power, those who really can help Carers get a better deal - Carers don't want the Earth, they don't even want a whole lot really, they just want some basic kindness and a wee hand up...not a hand-out and there in lie's all the difference in the world!

I hope you are getting some rest and a little kindness where you are today.
Stay strong my friend.
(((hugs)))
Maz x

Antibio-land and Rain Dancing...

Hi guys, it never rains but it pours - literally too!
The lovely sunshiney weather has all gone and the rain clouds have really gathered around us!

We came back from our lovely, wee Respite break, all happy and rested and banged right into another health crisis for Coo.
He is so very poorly. He has aches and pains, a high temperature, an increase in seizures and the makings of a really bad cold! Now, if you or I have a cold, it's a bit of a pain but with Coo? It's a whole other ball game!

When to get help...
For us, that's not an easy one to answer!
Coo hates hospital admissions. We both do, they're always problematic, stressful and downright difficult and are always a last resort, if things can be contained and managed at home then...they will be!
I nursed things around the clock over the last five days but nothing worked and his temperature remained high around 39 degrees and as he refused the hospital again, it was back to our GP today. Coo has a chest infection, it's not pneumonia - this time, thank goodness for that but it's back on the antibiotics for yet another run!

We're back in Anti-bio-land again but I'm hopeful things will start to improve once they kick in and until then?
I need to remember...

Here's to some successful rain dancing!
(((hugs)))
Maz x