Hello all,
It really has been a crap year for everyone! Sometimes you just want life to give you a break!
In October last year my father was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer, and we lived through a very rapid decline and he passed in February and it broke me! He had been very confused in the days prior to his death and I had asked for a Dr to visit - they didn’t due to Covid but I took a urine sample to the surgery but this wasn’t in a sterile container (I’d washed and cleaned a jar out - the dr didn’t mention it had to be in one of their containers and in the panic I didn’t think) and they had text him instead of me to tell him to repeat but be he wasn’t using his phone - he was admitted on the Wednesday and died on the Friday. So I feel very silly and responsible - if only I’d used a sterile container!
I’ve been off work since, as it was like a car crash and I’ve struggled to function.
In late May this year my I’m needed more painkillers for the pain in her shoulder, and went for an XRay - she has also now been diagnosed with lung cancer, and we are due to start aggressive treatment next week.
I am really struggling to let it settle in my head. Part of me wants to go back to work - but I work in a register office and see so many people every day and with restrictions easing I’m so nervous to introduce anything that could make mum poorly (she’s unvaccinated by choice - I’m fully vaccinated).
I’m just so lost :(
Hi , sorry to read about what you are going through. The issue with the jar would be such a simple idea and you thought you were being helpful but I do wonder if even had you done something else would it have made any difference.
How are you coping financially at the moment? It sounds like you have been away for some time and in my experience pay often drops after some time on sick leave. I wonder if it might help to talk to one of our financial advisors if you wanted.
Lots of people are concerned about going back to work, especially with the ending of restrictions announced by the government. I wonder if it might be possible though to find you a role that has less contact with so many people - certainly might be worth a conversation if it helped you back in to work.
If you did go back to work is there anyone who could look after your mum?
<<hugs>>
Steve
