Argh, role reversal! I mean come on..

I am sure a fair few of your will have come to this conclusion already.. that parents are not invincible, they won't be around for us forever and yes they're gonna get old. but WTF?

Last night was at work, called mike to say i was getting a ride home with a workmate to have him tell me he had just got off the phone with mum, who had called to tell him she was having chest pains. Hello, mike had to tell her to ring an ambulance. (she later told me at that point she couldn't even think of the number) I managed to get hold of her once the ambulance was there and told her i'd meet her downstairs in ED. I get there to realise she did not know any of her medications she was on, or anything about any of her health probs, and here i am, with them looking at me as if i am supposed to know, being "the daughter" and "a nurse". I then find out that not only had she run out of inhalers weeks ago, and had not gotten more despite going to the docs a few times (cos she "didn't need them" even though she had been coughing up a lung the last few weeks) she has also been daignosed with angina, and had a nitrolingual spray to take when she gets chest pains, which she had also thrown out cos it had expired, and she hadn't gotten more cos apparently she doesn't think she has angina and has not been using it when she gets chest pains anyway.

It sucks, realising that it's now to the point where her health is going downhill and i need to keep a list of my mothers medications in my handbag just in case,like i am the parent. I sucks to think and realise that it's getting closer to that time where you have to end up dealing with all that stuff and knowing being "the nurse" and "the daughter that lives in palmy" I'm pretty much it.

also annoying to realise (although i already knew....) that my little sis is so dam selfish - that the ambulance officer once they arrived at mums, had to drive up the road to pick up carrie from her place to look after bailey, and once they got back to mums place with my sis, she packed a tantrum and told mum to TAKE HIM WITH HER!! cos she wasn't staying there by herself looking after him. WTF!!!!

I came home at 2am this morning after she was settled in an overnight observation unit and was back again at 8.30am to be there when the docs came back with test results etc.

I mean come on.. since when i am i supposed to be my mother's keeper? (sorry sounds selfish and ranty, but seriously, she's a grown woman, i shouldn't have to tell her to take her meds!!)

rant over.

No you shouldnt have to tell her to take her meds Janine. I find it sooo frustrating when people do that, but I guess they just dont realise. Do you think this may have made your mum see that she needs to take her halth probs/meds a it more seriously? Esp looking after Bailey as well. Do she have any kind of written plan?

I hope she is feeling better today and you too. Big hugs. That feeling when your parents start to get sick is awful aye - I had to take mum over for an angio a year ago and I was sooooo worried, but probably cos I knew what the possible outcomes were.

I can sympathise....I've been in a similar position and all I can say is that it really sucks!!

Oh man big hugs to your mum. She obviously hasnt realised she is getting old or doesnt want to accecpt it. Might have something to do with the fact that she is also looking after a small child full time.

I cant believe your sister though. Man...... That girl needs a good slapping.

i agree - slap that sister of yours for being so selfish.

As to your mum, i understand... but i think that they get to a point where they dont want to admit they need help and they feel that if they admit it they are giving up their freedom and to an older person that is very hard to deal with.
A stern telling off (i know you shouldnt have to) and a reminder of her responsibility to bailey should help her pull her horns in.
i find too that the older generation are very fond of self diagnosing themselves, my mum is forever doing it.
I scared her once when she was in hospital and the doc said to me if she has a heart attack do you want us to resuscitate her and i sd no - but i said no cause i thought he was just being silly and there was no way that was going to happen...turns out it could have. luckily it didnt and since then mum has been more open about how sick she is etc.

I'm sure you and mum will sort it out...lots of hugs coming your way tho, you really dont this stuff right now.