Being sick alone.....

sammyjammy

SailorSam wrote: »

I'm on my own and you've just got to get on with things, although i don't often feel that sick. I don't know if it were last year or the year before, that for a couple of weeks i could hardly get up off the couch, even to get to the loo was an effort. And i couldn't eat or drink.
One of the things i thought about while i was lying there waiting to die was, I'd been thinking about getting myself a dog, and i thought if i had, or even if i did, what would happen to the poor Bengo.

I have been so poorly before that I have had to crawl down the stairs backwards to feed my cats, I brought the dried food back up with me so I could just throw some on the carpet when they needed feeding again . I have lived alone for 17 years and wouldn't want it any other way but it is hard when you are poorly (even though I am another grumpy poorly person that doesn't want anyone around)

Person_one

SailorSam wrote: »

I didn't mean after i'd died. I meant who was going to take him for a walk and feed him while i was feeling sorry for myself ............ But there again you've got a point there.

Dogs have really good instincts, they can tell when you aren't well and will let you get away without a long walk for a day or two. When I've been really rough I've fed them and taken them out for toilet breaks (in my pyjamas and slippers with a big coat over) and found that the rest of the time they just wanted to curl up on the bed/sofa with me and provide a bit of pet therapy!

indsty

The best thing to do for those living alone is to make sure you are prepared. Paracetamol (or other painkillers), tissues, tins of soup, bread in the freezer, UHT or frozen milk, rehydration sachets, lucozade.

I have a shelf in the kitchen where I keep a stock of tins - soup, sardines, tuna etc, anything that is easy to prepare if I feel unwell. I always have a spare butter and cheese in the fridge too. There is nothing worse than having to drag yourself out to the supermarket when you want to be in bed.

I also prefer to be on my own when unwell - then I don't have to bother what I look like or how often I am running to the loo etc. But I do understand it can sometimes be quite scary and it is very easy to feel alone if you are a worrier.

catkins

I had gastric flu a month ago. For 5 days I couldn't even sit up in bed without throwing up and that was eating nothing and drinking little sips of water. I had to crawl to get to the bathroom.


I was alone all day as OH had to work but I felt so awful I didn't really care. I was glad that he was around in the evenings though if only for the fact that he could feed and walk the dogs.


Hope you feel better soon

pathtofreedom

Ice lollys are good if you're struggling to drink / swallow. Ginger bread men or similar also help prevent nausea. Then salts so crisps or bacon or rehydration salts.

I live alone, I'm constantly ill and also disabled, so you just have to get on with it. As others have said having tinned stuff / freezer food in, that or if I'm feeling really bad, I always get hot and sour soup delivered from the chinese and that makes me feel a bit better.

I have a cleaner, so she's used to it being a tip some weeks, depending on how bad I am that week. For the person who broke your leg, I'm surprised none of your friends offered to clean up a bit for you.

Netflixs, podcasts or something to distract you helps too, even if you can't really concentrate on it, it stops you thinking so much about being alone and sick and helps pass the time.

Sleep and rest as well are your friends, yes you might have a million things to do, but you can only do so much, so just give yourself a break and sleep 12 hours in the day if it helps get you feeling more human faster.

Person_one

pigpen wrote: »

sounds perferable to being like that ad having children to care for and feed, a partner to dance attendance on and pets that need dealing with..

I can't imagine why anybody would put up with a partner who expected them to 'dance attendance' and do all the caring and feeding when they were ill.

SingleSue

You just get on with it, I much prefer to be left alone if I have D&V anyway.

The 'fun' part comes when you have children and you are on your own, they tend not to understand (or care) that you don't feel well, they still want their dinner, still need to be taken to school or appointments, so you just have to drag yourself out of bed and do it (I speak from bitter experience here!).

Despite several illnesses over the years, the last time I spent any decent time in bed was when I had my hysterectomy almost 15 years ago and even then, it was less than a day, did housework the day I was released from hospital, shopping the day after release and was back driving within 3 weeks and doing the school run (I was married at the time too...his view was out of hospital = perfectly fine to resume mum duties!)

Person_one

SingleSue wrote: »

You just get on with it, I much prefer to be left alone if I have D&V anyway.

The 'fun' part comes when you have children and you are on your own, they tend not to understand (or care) that you don't feel well, they still want their dinner, still need to be taken to school or appointments, so you just have to drag yourself out of bed and do it (I speak from bitter experience here!).

Despite several illnesses over the years, the last time I spent any decent time in bed was when I had my hysterectomy almost 15 years ago and even then, it was less than a day, did housework the day I was released from hospital, shopping the day after release and was back driving within 3 weeks and doing the school run (I was married at the time too...his view was out of hospital = perfectly fine to resume mum duties!)

I imagine its much harder for mums who live far away from family/support networks. There would hardly ever be any need for most of the parents I know to be in that sort of horrible position, with grandparents, aunties, uncles, good friends, godparents etc. all fairly nearby and ready to jump into action to help out.

Having an a***hole husband is a different matter of course, sorry you had to put up with that, pleased to hear you aren't any longer!

worried_jim

I was struck down with a kidney stone(didn't know what it was at the time) on December 31st at 15:15. The pain came on instantly and floored me where I was violently sick.

After about an hour I called a friend as I was worried that if I needed an ambulance I would be in so much pain I wouldn't be able to move to the door to let them in as she has a key.

As soon as she arrived the pain went and after an early night I felt better the next day. As I waiting for her to arrive I realised that I would be in serious trouble if I didn't have friends to rely on- it was a very sobering thought and I remember thinking that if I died how long would it be till I was discovered- not good and not quickly.

Unfortunately the pain returned a few weeks later but this time I called an ambulance and was admitted to hospital, they all said that I should have done this on NY's eve but being a man you just take the pain.

OP- make sure a neighbour has a set of keys, just in case. Get well soon.

thorsoak

I'm now almost 73 and live alone, following the death of my OH, and my son moving into his own home. I've been trying to "future proof" my home, and have started inside, by renovating my bathroom with a walk-in shower and changing the door so that it opens outwards. And I do make sure that in the cupboard under the bathroom sink there are cleaning products - disinfectant and bleach etc plus many loo rolls.

In my bedroom, I always have a bottle of water (unopened, but changed every month or so), the phone by my bed - and I leave this door open when I go to bed.

My neighbour has keys to my front and back door - no point in giving her just the front door key when I put the chain on it every night.

In my bedside cabinet, I keep my migraine tablets, plus buccastem as I know that if I get a migraine I need to take those tablets pdq if I'm going to stop it becoming a full-blown attack. I've always got some "comfort food" tins in the cupboard, plus home-made soup in the freezer for when I start to feel better.

I hate feeling ill - like others I hate feeling needy and like the other mums and wives, I've had to struggle through looking after the others whilst feeling like sh*t, so it now almost feels like a luxury to be ill on my own.