It brings to end a period of over 5 years where I have been a carer for either of my parents. I'm exhausted. No-one asks if you will be their carer, the responsibility is just assumed. Despite not necessarily wanting to be a carer, I did my best.
In March 2014, just 4 months after my mum died of lung cancer, my father was diagnosed with bowel cancer. This was the start of a tough and challenging time for me. He had to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy (thankfully as an in-patient) for 6 weeks, following this he had major surgery to remove the tumours and create an ileostomy.
His surgery didn't got that well, they couldn't close the wound and had to pack him because he bled heavily, he required 7 units of blood. They had to place him in ICU, pack the wound and return him to theatre the next day to complete his surgery. He was in hospital for 3 weeks, followed by 3 weeks in a nursing home step-down bed before he was discharged home.
He managed his ileostomy very well and quickly regained his independence and back to driving his car.
In Nov 2016 he needed a blood transfusion because a routine blood picture revealed a low haemoglobin count. This was to become the start of regular transfusions.
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