Oh namsnanny I can only offer a heartfelt hug, you've had such fantastic advice from everyone. Take good care ?
Sharp pain in second and third toe
What do you find yourself avoiding more as you get older?
Gransnet forums
Chat
I'm tired and fed up so please feel free to switch over now if a moaning mini is going to get your goat 
I cant stand for very long (back and knee) or hold heavy things like a kettle or saucepan.
My H suffers with dyspraxia (among other things). So we try to do the chores etc. between us. After a fashion.
His dyspraxia, means he drops items or bumps into things, or trips over stuff etc., with regularity.
So I'm constantly going around preempting an accident by picking things off the floor, or putting things away as he leaves anything where ever.
But curiously in very precarious places. Such as china or glass on the edge of work surfaces, and shelves. It's common for a mug to fall out of a cupboard when the door is opened. The times I've caught a glass because he has misjudged the work surface and placed it only just on it.
Or he leaves his tools on the edge of the steps outside.
Then trips up and cuts him self on them.
I buy china mugs one week and glasses the next. To replace breakages. The same with plates.
I have bought tin mugs and plastic glasses, but neither of us likes using them.
Not a day goes by without he hasn't broken something.
Or hurt himself.
Jars of sauce, jam, all kinds, accidentally dropped on the floor. Yoghurt, milk, orange juice constantly sloshed over the fridge. Sometimes resulting in one of us slipping on the wet patch.
In a normal house things happen. This is everyday. Sometimes more than once.
It's so wearing.
If he tries to clean it up himself, his dyspraxia means he just drops and breaks other things, making it all more difficult.
So, it's easier if I do it.
But only if he tells me about it. He has a habit of 'leaving it till later' resulting in the afore mentioned slip!
I had nightmares when the children were young, and he was the cause of many an accident. Thankfully not serious.
But I think he maybe worse now.
Until you have lived with someone like this, who lives in their own world and isn't even able to see the outcome of their actions.
It's impossible to really explain.
I'm exhausted trying to prevent things from getting out of control.
And he does hurt himself constantly.
He hit the jackpot a couple of weeks ago. He fell when pulling the curtains, into a piece of expensive antique furniture. Hurting himself quite badly and breaking the furniture beyond repair.
It was such a worry. He was bleeding badly. I had to take him to A & E which was such a palava.
Just getting shoes on the two of us, was hard enough.
Let alone wrapping him up so he didnt bleed to death on the way.
I couldn't phone for an ambulance as he had used the land line in the garden and lost it. Which is normal for him.
He then ran the mobile (we share) battery down. So it was inoperable.
I got to hospital, but had to help him into A&E, so I dumped the car in a disabled bay because it was the closest empty spot.
By now he was covered in blood. His shirt was running with it.
I was so afraid he would faint and I wouldn't be able to get him inside in time.
Having got him some attention, I went back to the car and moved it to the next available space. Which was a good 15 min walk away.
It was pouring with rain and my shoes hurt so I took them off to enable me to walk better.
Anyway we spent a good 12 hours waiting for plastic surgeon, xray, etc., etc., Eventually he was stitched up and we were sent home.
Thankfully although it was a bad cut through an artery in his arm, it seems to be healing quite well.
The house is another matter. As I said he damaged an artery when he fell and blood was everywhere. I've never seen so much. It look like a horror film.
I said to H today his timing was good, if he'd had the same accident this week, people would have thought it was a Halloween prank
I think the curtains are ruined. Possibly the chair nearby as well.
I spent 4 hours (crying all the while with exhaustion - what a sight I was. Snotty, bleary, still bloody and feeling sorry for myself
), when we came home from A&E cleaning up the floor and walls that were splashed. It's still visible in places after a few cleans.
By the way I now have a parking ticket. But I suppose thats the least of it.
I'm (we're) getting too tired to cope well with all these situations.
The stress of trying to prevent any accidents is getting quite unbearable.
The only way to prevent accidents is to be orderly. Clear floors, worksurfaces, stairs etc.
Have things that work and dont require make do and mend.
But at the present time some of the things that make everyday life problematic are
1) The sink is broken. So washing up involves filling a plastic bowl then emptying it elsewhere.
We have been waiting (2 weeks) for the plumber.
I'm washing up the easy things in a dribble of water, so as not to have a full heavy bowl to empty.
2) The expensive tap we had installed to save me from lifting a kettle has packed up for the 2nd time
3)The microwave only stays on for a 30second blitz. So it's almost impossible to live off ready meals.
4) The glass hob doesnt respond to pressing the mark which turns it on, every time.
But came on last night after my H left a plastic tray on it (why?)
The smell of burnt plastic is awful, even with the doors open all day today.
Not withstanding what could have happened.
I've never managed to get through to H about not putting things on the hob when it's supposed to be off.
So I will have to remember to check it before bed or the house will burn down next time.
Well, I'll sign off from whinging for now, because writing all this down has actually cheered me up a bit 
A problem shared etc...
Thanks for the chance to spill the beans... (Oh no thats what were having to eat tonight, I'd better not tempt fate or knowing my H's luck, they will explode all over the inside of the microwave )
Everybody needs a rant Namsnanny. Good that you could open up on here and get it all out. You do need help. I hope age concern comes up with something soon for you.
I can empathise as I knew someone in the same situation but for a different reason. 
I'm sorry, your life sounds a nightmare. Ask for help from listed resources.
I think the advice, here, has been brilliant.
Please do consider melamine, we use melamine all summer and for the wee children - it's very pretty.
I also think the microwave in 30 second units of time is very good advice. I'm a very rare microwave user, but I only use the 30 second burst if I must use it, allows me to keep temperature control.
Hello Namsnanny
I’m late to this thread, but what a lot of lovely and wise replies.
You really are going through it, aren’t you.
I just wanted to give you these and a ?
I hope that you had a good night and feel a little bit better today
Oh dear, Namsnanny, your life sounds very difficult
By the way I now have a parking ticket. But I suppose thats the least of it you could probably contest that and win, you might have to write a letter but tell them about the emergency and the artery explaining you had to get him into A&E urgently.
Dyspraxia symptoms can vary but your DH sounds as if his condition is quite extreme unless he has problems with his eyesight too. Presumably he has had a recent re-test.
Does he need his ears checked too if he is losing his balance?
Could your GP surgery help by referring him to an occupational therapist who might be able to suggest to him and to you better ways of coping, of arranging items or suggesting aids to make things safer?
was going to suggest melamine but wasn’t sure how it would be received
Melamine is a good suggestion but shouldn't go in the microwave.
Join the conversation
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join the discussion, watch threads and lots more.
Register now »Already registered? Log in with:
Gransnet »