A fresh start

hypno06

I am glad that your Dad is making a recovery, albeit still "life changing". If he has been active in societies before, and is still in good spirits, then I am sure he can remain as active in the future, it just needs a little more organising. When my Grandfather died a few years ago, it was amazing how many of the "society bods" rallied round to ensure that my Grandmother still got invited to stuff, whether it was a choir visit to Germany, or a trip to the panto at Christmas. In the early days this was vital because it would have been so easy for her to sit in her chair at home and not bother. As it is, 7 or 8 years down the line, she was giving me advice on Wednesday this week about me getting myself "back out there" and having a bit more of a social life :rotfl:

So, draw on whatever support is available, take all offers of help in the spirit that they are intended, make sure you consider yourself and your own energy and needs in all of this too, and I hope that your Dad continues to progress xxx

Wordsmith

I'm so glad your dad is able to come home and that you were able to fetch him. I agree with what the others have said - there is lots of help out there, so accept as much as you can. When my dad lost his sight the RNIB were really helpful, so it's worth talking to them as well as the social services team. Also the British Legion are really great, if he was ever in the forces. He might actually discover other things of interest that he wouldn't have thought of before.

I feel for you on the job front. If you go back to freelancing beware getting so bogged down with deadlines etc that you end up having to work more hours than you would with your full-time job. I know you will have thought of this, but I also know from experience that it is easy to think that you (that is, one, not you) can work round it ... until you actually start trying to do it.

Good luck to your dad with his change in circumstances - it is wonderful that he wants to carry on with his various pursuits. And good luck to your Mum, as her life is obviously going to change somewhat, too. And good luck to you, with whatever you decide to do. Remember that you can help your parents best by looking after yourself first - if you wear yourself out you will be no good to anyone.

Seaxwyn

Thanks all for the kind words. Dad is now installed at home. The Occupational Therapist who visited turned out to be someone from my running club, which was nice. They have arranged for someone to come in and help him get up and dressed every morning for six weeks. And the Visual Impairment service people and a physiotherapist will visit next week. So they are getting lots of support. Thanks for the tip about the RNIB, Wordsmith, I will contact them.

It will take a few weeks to settle into a new routine and work out what help they do or don't want from me, but I really do want to help them and I'm prepared for this to mean changes in my life as well as theirs.

I'm not going to make any hasty decisions about job vs freelance. I don't feel I can leave my job right now as I'm part way through a big project, and we have two new people starting in our team of 8, so enough disruption for the organisation at present. But in the new year I would prefer a more flexible, home-based work life, and I had that successfully for many years so feel sure I could return to it and having to sort out my poor time management and disorganisation is a small price to pay for winning my time and freedom back.

Seaxwyn

Does anyone have contact details for KissJenn? I think she is the one that has a blind husband? I would like to ask her advice about computer adaptations for blind people, which I think she mentioned on her thread.

I am just feeling very grateful for some good things today.

My sister spontaneously gave me £40. She knows we struggle and said she wanted to thank me for looking after dad - which of course she didn't need to do. But I'm grateful for the money, which has enabled me to finally pay off DD3's scout camp fees, and OH and I will go for a pint tonight with some friends.

A neighbour gave us a large pan of bolognese sauce she had made. She loves cooking and her husband didn't want it. So that is tea for the kids free.

I've got yet more freelance proofreading to do. I've already made over £1000 this month, and it's still pouring in.

Right, off to heat up the freebie sauce and have a bath before going to the pub!

lucielle

Enjoy the pint.
L

Seaxwyn

Update - my mum has just phoned and said my dad wants to treat me and OH to a meal as thanks for our help. So pint has been upgraded to a Thai meal and pint (NB Thai meal is only £5.95 in our local pub).

hypno06

Enjoy your evening!!

beanielou

Flying Fresian may well have kissing Jens contact details~hope this is of help.
Have a nice evening too.
Also investigate wether there is a local blind society as they can be most helpful too.

Seaxwyn

Morning all. Oops it's afternoon.

I just happened to look at my stats and found it is the 4th anniversary of my registering on MSE. Well well, I had no idea.

This prompted a little musing on how my life has changed over the four years, and the answer is NOT ENOUGH. Still working hard and still struggling to meet all the bills. I need to do something different.

hypno06

Happy MSE Birthday to you! mine is 4 years at the beginning of December.....where oh where has the time gone!

There may not be as much difference in your life, as there is in mine, but there are still changes - even recently, you are learning about what you want from life, and how to get it in a practical way.....which you wouldn't have done before. So there are huge improvements, even if you don't recognise them because you are too close to them.

How is your Dad getting on?