This week is National Carers Week and I wanted to acknowledge my wonderful carers. I cannot imagine how I would have coped or how I would continue to cope without them – particularly my husband David and my parents, Mum, Dad and Anna.
When you are young and healthy and standing up making promises at your wedding, you don’t expect that within a few years you will be a carer for your cancer stricken wife. Yet that is what has happened to us. David is a fierce advocate for me – no medical negligence will happen on his watch. In fact, in 2016, he saved my life as he spotted me going into respiratory distress in a corridor as I waited for a scan.
Being a carer is not a lot of fun. He has missed things he has wanted to go to, picked up lots of Violet’s care at times, and generally had his style cramped by a puffy, bald, rashy wife. It’s not for the faint hearted. So a big thank you to my David – words are inadequate but know that I know how much you do.
Baby faced and unaware of what was coming at our wedding – April 2012
The other people I need to acknowledge are my parents. It must be dreadful watching your child go through this. I feel like crying if I imagine it happening to Violet. But they are so stalwart and helpful and never- endingly supportive in a myriad of ways both practically and emotionally. I love them very much.