Nat Hyland
10-11-2006, 05:13 AM
Hi all
I went and stayed at mum and dad's while they went out last night, because my aunt Sharron is staying with them at the moment. My uncle Tony had to go overseas for work for three weeks, and would you believe that mum and dad were the only ones (my mum has 4 brothers and sisters, all but one of whom has grown up children) who offered to look after her while Tony was away - her own children didn't even bother :mad: ! Shar is still not very good, and I blame that almost solely on the fact that she had NOT had ANY rehab following the removal of her brain tumour :mad: ! I believe this is because she had her operation in Sydney, and her STUPID GP in Brisbane didn't even bother to follow up or organise the proper rehab, because my uncle said it wasn't necessary - he is a chemical engineer, not an occupational therapist!
So Shar needs to be prompted and reminded to do even the most simple things, such as putting on her shoes and brushing her teeth. She refused to shower last night, despite the fact that it was quite hot at mum and dad's, AND the fact that she has been diagnosed with SCABIES :eek: ! If left to her own devices, Shar will just sit in front of the TV and do nothing, which, although it might be convenient for my uncle, does absolutely nothing for Sharron. I managed to get Shar to take a walk with me from the house, down to the office (a distance of about 800 meters, down hill one way) to see mum. Unfortunately a drug rep arrived to do business just after we got there, so we ended up not staying long, but mum was amazed I had even got Shar to do that.
Shar has also lost quite a lot of weight, and needs to be encouraged and prompted to eat and drink (especially). I have advised mum to buy some Sustagen (a diet supplement powder that goes in milk) at the supermarket, and give it to Shar instead of the milkshakes she is giving her, which aren't as nutritionally good. Mum also took her to a local adult day centre one day, which was a bit of a disaster, because they had a few things go wrong that day, and were a bit disorganised, but they gave mum some information to be able to contact the local councils in Brisbane that Shar can go to when she is home. I think getting Shar out of the house would be particularly beneficial to her, as well as to Tony. I actually asked mum right after the operation whether Tony had arranged any rehab, and she said he hadn't - a bad move, it would seem.
My mum is a real go-getter, who likes to make things happen, so perhaps with the right information and people on board, she can help Shar to have a more fulfilling existence. Tony will be flying in to Melbourne on Saturday to pick Shar up, and they will fly back to Brisbane together.
Wish them luck.
Nat.
I went and stayed at mum and dad's while they went out last night, because my aunt Sharron is staying with them at the moment. My uncle Tony had to go overseas for work for three weeks, and would you believe that mum and dad were the only ones (my mum has 4 brothers and sisters, all but one of whom has grown up children) who offered to look after her while Tony was away - her own children didn't even bother :mad: ! Shar is still not very good, and I blame that almost solely on the fact that she had NOT had ANY rehab following the removal of her brain tumour :mad: ! I believe this is because she had her operation in Sydney, and her STUPID GP in Brisbane didn't even bother to follow up or organise the proper rehab, because my uncle said it wasn't necessary - he is a chemical engineer, not an occupational therapist!
So Shar needs to be prompted and reminded to do even the most simple things, such as putting on her shoes and brushing her teeth. She refused to shower last night, despite the fact that it was quite hot at mum and dad's, AND the fact that she has been diagnosed with SCABIES :eek: ! If left to her own devices, Shar will just sit in front of the TV and do nothing, which, although it might be convenient for my uncle, does absolutely nothing for Sharron. I managed to get Shar to take a walk with me from the house, down to the office (a distance of about 800 meters, down hill one way) to see mum. Unfortunately a drug rep arrived to do business just after we got there, so we ended up not staying long, but mum was amazed I had even got Shar to do that.
Shar has also lost quite a lot of weight, and needs to be encouraged and prompted to eat and drink (especially). I have advised mum to buy some Sustagen (a diet supplement powder that goes in milk) at the supermarket, and give it to Shar instead of the milkshakes she is giving her, which aren't as nutritionally good. Mum also took her to a local adult day centre one day, which was a bit of a disaster, because they had a few things go wrong that day, and were a bit disorganised, but they gave mum some information to be able to contact the local councils in Brisbane that Shar can go to when she is home. I think getting Shar out of the house would be particularly beneficial to her, as well as to Tony. I actually asked mum right after the operation whether Tony had arranged any rehab, and she said he hadn't - a bad move, it would seem.
My mum is a real go-getter, who likes to make things happen, so perhaps with the right information and people on board, she can help Shar to have a more fulfilling existence. Tony will be flying in to Melbourne on Saturday to pick Shar up, and they will fly back to Brisbane together.
Wish them luck.
Nat.