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Bereavement

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For Anyone Needing Support After Losing a Parent. Very Supportive Thread (March 2022) )

983 replies

Crunchymum · 28/02/2022 13:23

I hope no-one minds me starting a new thread, the old one is almost full.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/bereavement/4352163-For-Anyone-Needing-Support-After-Losing-a-Parent-Very-Supportive-Thread-September-2021

As always lots of love and strength and support to you all xxx

OP posts:
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Sohereitissuddenly · 23/04/2023 22:13

@Fedupofdiets I'm so sorry for your loss. Guilt is part of grief (apparently... early days for me too). It is not your fault. It took 4 days for me to speak to an actual doctor and hours on the phone piecing together what was going on from various people. It's not until afterwards that you can recognise that things went so wrong with the care.

My Dad wanted to die at home and the ward wanted rid of him but it was obvious that there was no way he could have been cared for at home. He was so ill. I was told he wasn't ill enough for a hospice though when I was trying to get him out of the awful ward, and he was dead three days later.

It is not your fault. You were in shock and doing your best with the information you had. Sounds utterly traumatic. I'm really so sorry.

AllBellyandBoobs · 23/04/2023 22:47

I am sorry to read that too many of you are struggling with the final days of your loved ones. My mum was admitted to A&E with a condition that was 'quite likely to be an end of life event' according to the consultant. We had a choice to make, we could either keep her in hospital and attempt treatment, or we could move her to the hospice for end of life care only. We chose withdrawal of treatment and the hospice. I feel thankful that we made that decision as she was beautifully looked after, her pain absolutely controlled and managed. This is how it should be for everyone and it makes me angry that it isn't.

Fedupofdiets · 24/04/2023 05:12

@Sohereitissuddenly Thank you so much for your kind words. It is so hard isnt it? I honestly don't know what to do with myself I just keep telling him in my head how sorry I am. ICU put these knitted love hearts in his hands and I am clinging onto the heart wiping my snot and tears away. My Dad was 69 and was a beautiful soul the most selfless person, I was so lucky to be his DD. My Dad and DM had been together since they were 14 and were soulmates in every sense of the word, they adored each other. Seeing her grief now is unbearable. Much love to everyone going through this I have never experienced grief before and it is brutal. Flowers

Ttc42nearly43 · 24/04/2023 11:49

Fedupofdiets · 23/04/2023 21:42

Please can I join you? My Dad on Thursday last week of multi organ failure due to sepsis. His death was horrific, he had suffered for many months prior due to necrotic wounds on his feet. I had to push to get him into hospital and at no point did a single healthcare professional tell us what was happening. He was shoved onto a side ward and then rushed to ICU and died before we could get to him. His skin was mottled, he kept saying he was dying, he was agitated and kept trying to get out of the bed. I am sure the SEPSIS policy was not adhered to. We were in the relatives room for 6 hours on ICU and not a single staff member came to see us. I am utterly bereft as I am a nurse and feel I have let him down so badly. Why didnt I shout louder for him? He was still warm when we got there and we held him and told him how much we loved him. We are all heart broken.

Ironically my passion as a nurse has always been around end of life care and trying my utter best to give people a peaceful death knowing how much comfort that can bring to their loved ones. Well I have truly fucked up with my own father. Utterly bereft. I will speak to PALS when I am up to it but I almost don't want to know the truth.

Hello i wanted to reach out and tell you my experience. My mum also died due to kidney failure caused by sepsis. This started due to a cellulitis infection in her leg. I fought for her like mad, got 2nd opinions, wouldn't back down, tried with every single bit of fight in me to get her diyalisis but they never agreed. Said she wouldn't survive the treatment, critical care couldn't support her being out on a respiratory, said she'd never come of it. In the end we were told that mum was going to died and either she would die in comfort surrounded by her family or she would died on the operating table if they attempted diyalisis. Faced with being told that information what option did i have but to back down? Any attempt to continue pressing them would appear cruel and looking back this was what they were implying.

Since then there are legal proceedings ongoing regarding mums care at the care home and their failure to get medical help earlier. There has been an independent medical report obtained by a renal expert advising which states that in his opinion should diyalisis have been given mum would have made a full recovery. Jesus that was a kick in the face reading that report.

I've had the care inspection into the care home and my complaints upheld. It truly is an emotionally exhausting journey. Noone is accepting any responsibility for their decisions. None of it can bring my mum back but am still fighting for her.

Am just telling my mums story because even if u had shouted from the roof top, once the medics made their decision theres not much scope to change their minds. Guilt i found the most challenging of emotions after my mum died. Going over and over the whats and if and whys. All i can say is please, do not be hard on yourself. I work in health & social care and i put my trust in the staff at the care home to look after my mum and they let her down. I would imagine with your medical background you would have also been entrusting these professionals with your dads car. Sometimes our hands are tied and we put our faith in those in charge. Its different faced with such a highly intence emotional situation in your personal life compared with being in the professional capacity.

Am just over 2 years on and the legal battle continues but personally i have given myself a break now with feeling guilty. I keep telling myself that my mum would not want me to punish myself. I know she didn't want to die, she was scared in the hospital i could see that when she was awake but you cannot take on the responsibility of your dads treatment its not fair on yourself. In time hopefully you will be able to let go of the guilt. You never find peace because our parent has died but with some help and i got grief counseling from Cruse Bereavement, you can let some of that guilt go and feel thankful for having such an amazing parent, this is what i try to focus in now a days.

The anger towards those involved stays with you but it doesn't over come you as much as it did in the beginning. This is what i have found anyway but still am not giving up in the case just yet. Its the last thing that i can do for my mum and i don't want to let her down.

Sohereitissuddenly · 24/04/2023 14:16

@Ttc42nearly43 No words, just Flowers

Sonotokay · 24/04/2023 14:53
Flowers
Fedupofdiets · 24/04/2023 17:04

@Ttc42nearly43 Thank you for such a detailed response and I am so sorry that you have had to go through that experience with your Mum. I have had a chat with the complaints team today at the hospital in which he died and have been advised to put everything into an email. I can also access his medical records but I do not want to at the moment I cannot bear to look at them, his notes will be present when a 'local resolution meeting' is held which I will attend with my Mum. I have a lot of questions to ask but primarily I want to know if they followed the Sepsis escalation policy when they transferred him from AMU to a side ward and was he monitored in line with NICE guidelines (I already know he wasnt). I also want to raise the appalling lack of communication in the hospital.

I am struggling to get past seeing my Dad dead knowing he died alone and in distress, I am so angry with the hospital for not telling us how sick he was and giving us the option of being with him. Much love to everyone going through this horrible time, it truly sucks.

mrssunshinexxx · 25/04/2023 19:15

It's my mums 3rd anniversary today,
Where has that time gone? In some ways it feels like forever and in some ways it's gone in a flash. All I know is my heart aches for her the same as day 1 and I know it always will

WhiteChocTwix · 25/04/2023 21:33

Hello ladies, we're scattering Dad's ashes in the morning and I just had the mother of all cries. 😥I feel like a crazy person, should on top of all this. I'm polishing off wine and short bread biscuits. I miss Twix Senior off the chart. 4months gone. Got to work tomorrow straight after 😕

Sohereitissuddenly · 26/04/2023 07:12

Thinking of you this morning @WhiteChocTwix

Badger1970 · 26/04/2023 09:17

Hope it all goes OK @WhiteChocTwix Flowers

I'm nearly 3 months in and still having major meltdown moments, had one yesterday morning. Came from absolutely nowhere and I struggled to get my breath for crying. I'm starting to feel as though I'm going a little bit mad with it all......

Sonotokay · 26/04/2023 10:26

I’m so sorry Twix. I found the M&S short biscuits to be a huge comfort (square box, under £3). I can believe you’ve got to work straight after, as that’s the sort of workplace I have. It doesn’t make it humane though.

I know the feeling of going mad. X

Iamnotalemming · 26/04/2023 10:49

Hi everyone. I've not posted for a while here bit was hoping for some thoughts / experiences from others.
We lost my DF last October. My younger Dsibling is getting married this weekend. I have done all the prep you normally do for a family wedding (helped with planning, booked time off, outfits for me and DC, sent DH to get a suit, wedding gift etc) but I am not feeling excited about it. At all. I mostly feel flat about having a big family event without DF and I'm worried about how my DM will cope. I want my sibling and partner to have a lovely day, I don't want them to see us sad.
If anyone has any advice or thoughts for getting through the day I'd be grateful. Xx

Badger1970 · 26/04/2023 11:21

@Iamnotalemming I think it's OK to be open about how hard it's going to be for all of you. Any future significant event is going to be the same because one of you is missing, but this is also the 1st one. Moments of joy are tainted with sadness, especially when it's still so raw for you all. Has your sibling planned any special mentions or moments about your DF so you're prepared?

Perhaps try and find a space when you can escape to if it's a bit much, so you can take a deep breath. And don't drink too much. You'll have a good day, it'll just be a different one to what was planned Flowers

Iamnotalemming · 26/04/2023 12:13

Thank you @Badger1970 for the kind words and that is a good point about special mentions. I don't know and will ask so I'm not surprised by it, DM too. I need to bring some tissues with me!

MrsTopaz · 26/04/2023 16:37

Can I come and join you lovely people? My dad passed at the end of March following a long illness. He lost all of his memories almost 10 years ago (had no idea who we were, who he was etc) so I’ve not had my Dad for a very long time now… and he was so young. His funeral was Monday. When he was ill I tried to block out memories of the well person… now I worry I’ll not be able to retrieve them. 💐 to you all.

Iamnotalemming · 26/04/2023 17:53

@MrsTopaz I'm so sorry for your loss. What ive worked out in the past 6 months since we lost DF is that the happier memories will come with time but you still might cry over them.
There are a lot of very kind people on this thread. You're welcome here💐

Badger1970 · 26/04/2023 18:35

@MrsTopaz welcome, this board has been a real source of support for me over the last few months. I'm only sorry you need to join us on this horrendous journey we're all trying to make sense of Flowers

Fedupofdiets · 27/04/2023 07:38

@MrsTopaz I just my Dad too, much love Flowers

I never realised that grieving was so exhausting. I feel guilty when I have moments of tranquility and I am not crying but then relieved not to feel that raw emotion all the time. One of the hardest things is seeing my Mum grieve for my Dad, they had been together since they were 14 and total soul mates - they lived for each other and had a beautiful marriage. I am lucky to have 3 siblings and lots of nephews and nieces and we havent left her side yet. Mum and Dad were Christians and had strong faith which I know is an enormous comfort to her.

Hope you all get through today x

Sohereitissuddenly · 27/04/2023 15:39

I can't cry. I feel like I want to but I have no tears. I went back to work. I didn't really feel like I could stay signed off longer. I just kind of went back in Tuesday without thinking and it's been really full on. In some ways it's been ok, because I can just get on with it. In other ways, I just don't care. I feel numb. I feel like I don't like anyone.

I have MECFS. I feel utterly exhausted today. Came home from work and I've just been in bed watching TV all afternoon. I don't give a shit that I've got deadlines..I just don't care.

Dad died 5 weeks ago on Saturday.

I can't even figure out what I'm feeling right now.

MrsTopaz · 27/04/2023 20:32

@Sohereitissuddenly so sorry to hear this. I’m roughly in the same place as you, it’s been 5 weeks for me also and recently gone back to work. I also find that I just don’t care about work. It feels like my scale of importance has massively shifted and everything just pales into insignificant compared to the fact he’s gone. I Just.don’t.care about stuff that I used to think was important. I wonder if this is a phase and if things start to matter again eventually? Xx

Bluemat · 27/04/2023 21:45

9 weeks today since dad passed and it's my birthday. Cried at the card my mum sent but I don't feel as grief stricken as I did a few weeks back.

This week I received copies of dads medical records there are about 300 pages just from the last year, reading those have set me off at times. He was so brave - I just find it hard to come to terms with the diagnosis and his passing being 22 days apart

Fedupofdiets · 29/04/2023 08:29

@Bluemat Much love to you. I am raising a complaint with the NHS trust in which my Dad died and they have asked if I want access to his records but I don't think that i can bear to look at them yet. He suffered so much and died suffering, I think they neglected him and he died of sepsis - I am sure they did not follow their pathways. In a way ignorance is bliss right now but I know I need to know what actually happened and why he was neglected. Flowers

Thisisus4 · 01/05/2023 21:29

My wonderful doting dad passed away this morning. I want to shout from the rooftops so everyone knows I'm hurting and I love him. I'm angry at cancer and the unfairness of it all. He loved his family so much. We had so many plans and a 1 year old granddaughter who adored him and vice versa.

Sohereitissuddenly · 01/05/2023 21:55

@Thisisus4 I'm so sorry. Cancer is an utter bastard. xx