You are my sunshine

My mum sang "You are my sunshine" to me the other day, it was beautiful, it was so sweet, the carers were there and they were singing to her and got her to sing it to me. My mum has the most amazing carers, they love her to bits, she doesn't think she needs them but that's the dementia, in her right mind she would love having somebody come in every day to do her meals and give her this attention. Mum just thinks we are keeping her prisoner. I am always very grateful to the carers, being a carer myself I know how hard the job can be and at times how little thanks we get so I always make sure I thank them when I see them.

Everything Changes

"Rose your dads on the phone, he thinks your mums had a stroke" - that was when our family changed forever. 9 years later - she is now bedbound with Vascular Dementia and has to be looked after by Carers four times a day, who are absolutely amazing with her. She still lives at home with my dad, who has basically given up his life for her, his independence and his health. Earlier this year I found her diary of when she was seventeen and it inspired me to start writing a book about her then and how she turned into the woman now. What would that vibrant seventeen year old think of this woman in her eighties. So I have started writing a book and am calling it the same name as this blog "Eleanor's Smile" - although I don't get on with it very fast as I get quite emotional when writing it so have to do it in short bursts.