Time for a caretaker rant!

[TrophyWife]

My father(he is 77-lives alone) comes home from the hospital today. As you guys know, he had a stroke(TIA no major damage) Friday and next week is getting a graft on the right arm. Left fistula works but making his arm swell 4X.
He will not go to assisted living!
He will not let them come to his house! ( they might steal his stuff )
He will not move to Tennessee with me!
He will not call a taxi to take him to dialysis - HE THINKS HE'S GOING TO DRIVE HIMSELF BACK AND FORTH-Lord help everyone on the street.
Not to mention he is grouchy as all get out.
Once school starts I will not be able to help much...........I am worried.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH STUBBORN FOLKS?

[TrophyWife]

OH and I forgot to say he "cusses" me out if I talk to his doctors about him AND if they see him and I'm not there He doesn't tell me what they say- OR he doesn't tell me the truth. The doctors have my cell phone number but they don't have time to call. I don't even know what medications he takes and should not take and he has about 50 bottle of medicine on his counter now. They might start him on one then tell him to stop........UGH!

[Padster]

I suppose he has every reason to feel grouchy. It hits you hardest when you realise you can't do the things you used to anymore. I know that is the case with me. As well as ESRF I have a broken hip which has really slowed me down, and it is this which makes me hell to live with. I am 36. I have realised one thing in life: health, not wealth makes people happy.

[goofynina]

Hey Padster,   Welcome to the best website regarding this matter.  You have an excellent point there.  Can you please go to the Introduce Yourself section and share your story with us?  This website is for the patients (and caretakers, families and friends, even workers) and its all by patients, caretakers families and freinds of dialysis so we all have alot in common.  Please also check out our I Hate Dialysis.com Site Rules.  There is ALOT of important and helpful, funny, sad, cheerful, inspirational information here, so please, get comfy and start reading.  Feel free to post when you want, where you want, wether it be a question, comment, suggestion even a joke, we all would love to hear from you.  Once again, welcome and i look forward to hearing more from you....

[kitkatz]

Oh man can I relate to that rant.  I watched my mother deal with her parents as they got older.  My grandmother had pills out the ying yang and asking her what they were for was incredibly frustrating.  She could tell you some of them.  Now my mother acts the same way with her meds.  My sister and I ask her what the pills are and she says:
oh some supplements so and so recommended. 
Did you check with your doctor about them? 
No, so and so said to try them.
GRRRR!  We all should know that supplements can interact with your meds and make you sick!
A Little frustrating when my mother is still working, driving, and is very lucid and takes care of herself.  I told my sister who lives with her to take a look at everything mother takes, but Mom has it all over the house so who knows what she is taking. 

Katherine