Over50s Forum

I am retired from the NHS I have arthritis but try not to let it have too much of an impact on my life. My hobbies are cooking and looking after my dog and husband I also have a small business selling supplements which have helped me with my health problems. I have been writing a novel for the past two years and also love to write short stories. I have a really odd sense of humour one that shows I have never really grown up.
I am well over 50 and enjoy life to the full.

Just recently I discovered that my family came from Northern Ireland to Glasgow, where my mother and her sisters were taken into care. It was the depression and there was no work and I suspect alcohol was involved too. My own mother ran away to England to have me and then she went back to Scoland and nobody knew of my existence. I have just found lots of cousins and an aunt. My mother thankfully is still going strong well into her 80s and it would appear that my father also had a long life, so I am hoping that I too will live long and prosper.

In March 2014 my husband Keith was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. Soon after I fell and broke my hip. It was a dark time. My hip has never recovered, I had to have two operations as the wound became infected. During this time It became apparent that we needed help. I can no longer be my husbands carer. I can barely walk now and have my own carer.

Keith is no longer able to drive so we have a carer on our insurance and she drives us. We hope that we can have Keith's powered wheel chair and then we shall get a vehicle appropriate for the size of the wheelchair. Keith is now getting a large motorised wheelchair, it is huge and therefore we will need to have a ramp into the house and a larger vehicle.

I am helpless watching my husband lose his muscles so that he cannot eat certain things, drink certain things, use his hands, drive a car or even feed himself. Keith amazes me with his ability to look at this bloody illness as a project. He is so aware of what is needed to help him live longer is quite amazing. He gets frustrated when others including me don't understand the urgency of his requests for different things.

Thankfully we have excellent care but holidays and sickness are a concern now. Also ladies with children have there own problems We jog along. Me trying to control the panic that I feel each day as I watch Keith deteriorate. One day his voice will fail. He will need a rig to feed him but his brain will be as clear as ever and thank goodness he loves to study all manner of things and he loves sport on television. Keith has got an eye gaze machine now so he can begin to learn how to use his eyes to use a keyboard so that we will know what is going on in his wonderful brain.

I cannot tell you how even today I am still missing my lovely dog. I will not replace him. I will never find a replacement. I may get an animal that needs a home. I think Ruud would like that, he was a very loving animal and I miss him so.

My Interests

Cooking, gardening, dogs, television, walking on the beach, travelling, writing, making friends on the internet and writing long emails.