Parents being a worry!

[Campfire]

Yesterday after we'd had all that snow on Tuesday, we couldn't get vehicles out so Mr Campfire asked me if I needed taking anywhere & if I needed to go to my Mum's.

So I asked him to take me there. When we got there, the front door was open, the car door was open and my 89 year old mother was de-icing the car which was snowed up to the back valence, looking frozen.

I went mad with her and asked her what she was doing and she said she was going to docs to collect a prescription. When I asked her why she

didn't ring me (or get a taxi) she said she didn't like bothering me. So we went to collect prescription and bring it back to her.

She's quite stubborn, very frail looking with a few problems but through it all has a core of steel. (probably because she only gave up cycling about 2 years ago).

Whilst I admire her independence, she could have got hypothermia & worstened the kidney infection that she was wanting the prescription for!
What can you do with them? Mr Campfire duly reprimanded her and said she should always ring us. (Ahhhh)

 

[Arch]

My mum, a couple of years back (in her seventies), admitted sheepishly a few weeks after the event, to standing on the edge of the bath to rehang the bathroom curtains, and falling into the bath.

I was sooooo cross!

It's funny, she worries about me to my sister, worries about my sister to me, and then my sister and I worry to each other about her, while groaning about her worrying about us...

Can I make her keep her mobile on, except when she's actually making a call? Can I heck. But if she rings and I'm not at home, she'll ring my mobile to find out if I'm ok (and always starts with "hello love, um, so you're not in?". Obviously Mum, becuase you've just called home haven't you....)

Sorry, I'm rambling. But I know just what you mean Campfire....

 

[Noodley]

At your age I'm concerned you went out in that weather - phone me in future if you need anything.

 

[Lardyboy]

It seems the older parents/grandparents get, the younger they believe themselves to be. There must be someone whose done research into it? Surely?

 

[snakehips]

Oooooooooh yes , it being Thursday I have just had my weekly instalment of this.

Snake

My Library

 

[Jane Smart]

Wow your mum is amazing Campfire

 

[Campfire]

Yes Jane, she is! She still scrubs the carpet regularly! Oh, yes the phone Arch. She has one of my old phones an ancient Nokia. She never has it on 'to save the battery'. If she really needed it in an emergency, she wouldn't have the energy to turn it on, would she? She also climbs up things too.

I've now persuaded her to put the central heating on 'overdrive' as she calls it after it's gone off at night, to hopefully avoid burst pipes. She is intelligent, still does the puzzle crosswords but occasionally gets words wrong, like 'semi-skilled milk' and 'Ibrufen'.

God, I don't know what I will be like if I ever reach that age.

 

[Alan Frame]

My old man [very, he's 95 !] is a constant worry to me as he does not know his limitations.
He only gave up driving 2 years ago and is currently in hospital having had a knee replacement op. Spends most of his time chatting the nurses up !

He is mentally very bright but he finds it hard to accept his failing body parts so the replacement knee is just the next step in his crusade to become bionic.
He's been knocked over by cars twice in the last two years and has bounced back on each occasion. Hope it's in the genes.

 

[Aperitif]

My old man [very, he's 95 !] is a constant worry to me as he does not know his limitations.
He only gave up driving 2 years ago and is currently in hospital having had a knee replacement op. Spends most of his time chatting the nurses up !

He is mentally very bright but he finds it hard to accept his failing body parts so the replacement knee is just the next step in his crusade to become bionic.
He's been knocked over by cars twice in the last two years and has bounced back on each occasion. Hope it's in the genes.

Well, his replacement knee will be in his jeans Alan!
My Mum had a hip replacement tonight aged 90. Stubborn, oft idiotic refuser of all things medical - she could have been pain-free for five or more years instead of falling, cutting, struggling, failing and mis-medicating "because she doesn't need a doctor" - anyone who has these sort of parents who give nothing away - don't patronise them - get them sorted!

 

[al78]

It seems the older parents/grandparents get, the younger they believe themselves to be. There must be someone whose done research into it? Surely?

These people have enjoyed being independant for several decades. They are not going to give it up without a struggle. That, and the fact that people do not like to admit they can't do things anymore they used to be able to do easily.

 

[Globalti]

My Mum is 80, as fit as a butcher's dog, goes walking several times a week and goes on Ramblers holidays twice a year. She goes to a gym every week and does circuits, she is a local cathedral guide and local museum guide, she sings in three choirs and....... (draws breath) is never in to answer the phone.

Currently she is very depressed and angry because she's been diagnosed with mild angina and her body appears to be ageing....

 

[surfgurl]

I texted and emailed a friend last night to let them know not to worry about putting the bins out as the council have said they are not collecting from properties on ungritted roads and that I would come round and collect rubbish to take to the recycling for them.
She is in her sixties and relatively physically well and cares for her husband. He is also in his sixties but can't walk very well due to a brain injury fifteen years ago. Basically his brain doesn't tell his legs where they ought to go so he is very unsteady on his feet and often falls over.
I got a text back this morning saying thank you for the message but don't worry, her husband had already been out first thing to put the bins out just in case they are collected. So that is walking down an uneven 100m lane covered in snow and ice with bin bags just in case they are collected.

 

[Hilldodger]

I got a call from the local hospital months ago asking if I could collect a friend who'd been brought in for a check up after falling through the roof he was fixing.

He's an 84 year old former Tank Commander and the most stubbon person I've ever met. But he's a great bloke

 

[BearPear]

We're having "issues" with my 84 year-old grandma a the moment. She has just come out of hospital after never been in one as a patient, ever. She apparently took a funny turn yesterday because she hadn't been taking the medicine she had been prescribed at the hospital.
My mum is stressing because her mum won't behave and do as she's told and take the medicine. So I took the opportunity to mention to my mum that she should bear this incident in mind and not object to me bossing HER around when she gets old and cantakerous! Luckily she heartily agreed - she doesn't want to give me the grief her mum is currently giving her!