Friday 31 December 2021

A new year, Carers, COVID & support...

Hi guys, it's so long since I blogged and life has changed so much but with a new year looming, I think it's time to reflect!

I used to get a bit stressed at the thought of a new year coming. I'd worry about the things I said I'd do and just didn't get around to. You know the kind of thing...lose a few pounds in weight, hold onto a few of the other kind of pounds and save for a rainy day...that kinda thing! Gosh if only life was as simple as that now - COVID came and changed everything especially for disabled people and their #carers.


The stress of living with COVID all around us has really changed my perception. Life is hard for everyone but it's really hard for carers!  It's a constant stress and worry every time we have to leave home at all. We've been isolated before but this is on a whole different level!

I still think, the most important thing being a Carer has taught me, is to slow down a bit and just take a breath! The world still turns just the same while you catch your breath a bit. Mainly caring has taught me just to count my blessings a little and be thankful for making it through the last year safely in the first place and that's never more important or relevant than now!

I guess, most people used to take that kind a thing for granted...good health, I mean! Whilst everyone was well and busy hustling and bustling about with their life at such a great pace, they never needed to give a second thought to such things. Planning well into the future for work, holidays or pretty much anything they fancy and it's only when something happens to you or your loved ones that you really need to stop and think at all. COVID changed that. People were forced to stop and think of their health and that of their loved ones, even make choices on vaccines, wear masks and isolate and carers had to add all that into their already leaky boat!
Struggles...
Looking back, honestly? It hasn't been the best year for a lot of folk especially carers. We've both struggled with health issues and stress has swamped us at times. Sometimes I wonder just who is caring for who but there have been some good times too...really!

It's the little things that have kept us going. We were lucky we bubbled up with family and were still able to see our grand-babies (if everybody lateral flow tested ok). We would not have survived this isolation otherwise.

We were lucky our SDS (Self Directed Support) continued - we weighed up the risks and decided we couldn't manage without it so we were really careful, flow tested galore and just battened down the hatches and carried on!. 

Coo's seizure level's still really high at around 250 a month and he's currently stressing as there's some more health issues in the mix. My RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) is still a bit of a struggle so hospital appointments are still a bit hectic but we're hanging on it there! There's been lots of stress but we're coping!

On the plus side, Coo's no worse and not nearly as bad as the dreadful 30 seizures a day we've previously coped with! There are still crisis points and things are not brilliant by any means but with the vaccines and flow tests things are a little bit better than they were this time last year and that's a bonus!

Let's hope 2022 is kinder to us, stay strong and stay safe friends ((hugs)) Maz!

Thursday 18 March 2021

Carers, life and isolation...

 Hi guys, it's been such a long time since I blogged - things are tough!

Just like others with disabilities and their carers, we've been living pretty much at home this last year, just trying to keep safe. On the whole we've coped but this enforced isolation has taken a real toll. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when in the lockdown things began to change but they have! It feels like there's a distinct disconnect from the outside world when you isolate for such a long period of time and I think it'll be scary to start opening back up once this is eventually over.

I've lived such a busy life for so long, meeting people, rushing between meetings and appointments and always had caring responsibilities and health hassles with my Dad and Coo in the mix too and I've always kept spinning those plates and juggling all the balls, just keeping them all up in the air, it's what I know but now...it's all so different. Life has changed!

The caring continues as it always must but everything else in life has kinda stopped. 

I miss the busy-ness of life. That happy chatter in the shops, sharing a smile with a stranger across a busy cafe whilst having a wee cuppa - remember that wee pleasure? Mostly, I miss the tangible and emotional support from other carers, who without any need for discussion, just know how it really is and understand! 

I know everybody is feeling the restrictions on their lives right now and we all have had to dig deep emotionally but spare a thought for Carers, it's been a bit of a double whammy for us, we were already digging deep emotionally before the pandemic even arrived! 

Stay strong and keep hanging on in there!

((hugs))

Maz x