Oh Dear...

[poliphilo]

Still shaking a little. More accurately now beginning to shake because I can...

Carer comes to get my mother up. A few minutes into the operation my mother calls from upstairs. I go up. Carer still trying to get mother out of bed but now shaky and incoherent. I guide carer gently but firmly to armchair. Ailz rings ambulance. Carer has had strokes before and this looks like another.

I take over carer's job of guiding my mother downstairs and putting her breakfast in front of her. Ailz takes over frontline care of carer.

While all this is going on Sainsbury's arrives with our weekly shop.

Ambulance arrives. Carer gradually comes to. While gathering her things together and looking for her phone (so we can call her family) we can't help but notice the nearly empty vodka bottle in her bag.

Ambulance guys take over. Carer is driven to local hospital.

Comments

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

So, did you mention the vodka?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

No. I think they'll find that out for themselves- if it's relevant.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Oh dear.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear! What a morning. I hope the rest of the day is calmer and that they can send you another, more reliable carer.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

We've been able to make other arrangements.

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear! That does not sound like the best of all mornings. And of course Sainsburys arrived in the middle of it, for maximum chaos. I hope the poor carer will be okay.

Though the vodka bottle did immediately make me think of Mrs Gamp...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking of Mrs Gamp too.

We've been in denial. The carer is an alcoholic. The signs were there and we chose to ignore them. Besides she was also a friend...

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Goodness! That's just scary and unpleasant all 'round.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, it seems to have resolved itself now....

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

That's a hard situation to deal with....and yes, scary. One that would make me shaky as well. But it sounds like help arrived and the doctors will discover whether the vodka bottle had anything to do with it all when they do some very basic tests.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm glad we found the bottle. Up until then we were thinking we were simply dealing with someone who was ill.

[qatsi.livejournal.com]

"Carer taken ill" sounds like one of those things that just isn't supposed to happen. Fortunately you were there at the time and it sounds like everyone has done the best they could ... give or take a bottle of vodka which, as you say, may or may not be relevant, directly or indirectly.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid the bottle of vodka is central. She wasn't having a stroke- which is good- but...

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

I grew up with two alcoholic parents, so I have a great deal of sympathy for the fact that people often drink for a reason. It does, though, mean that certain professions are not really suitable for them, no matter how functional they are most of the time.

I'm glad she got to hospital - and glad that you have now found alternatives for your mother's care.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Kirstie has her reasons. I know of one of them but there may be others going way back.

But as you say there are professions in which alcoholics are viable- and others in which they're not.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

I hope you still think of her kindly, even if she can no longer care for your mother. It is sad that sometimes even when we do our best, our best isn't good enough - and that seems to have been her lot.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I do. I've never actually felt any other way.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

Somehow this doesn't surprise me. You never struck me as a person intolerant of other people's flaws.