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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Just realised I'm really upset with dh's family, might be UR but probably not?

15 replies

Weegiemum · 02/07/2013 17:15

This came from reading a very unrelated thread and I realised I'm still very cross 2+ weeks later.

Recently we visited mil for the weekend. Bil + family live round the corner from her. By the time dh and I got up on the first morning, bil had dropped his 2 ds's round to mil because they had been "ill" overnight and he and his wife were tired. Turned out they had a odd bug involving cough, tummy ache and d&v.

By the time I went downstairs (and I'm talking 8am, not late for the mum of a 9,11 and 13yo at the weekend) our nephews had been there, bouncing on my dc knees, kissing them etc for 45 mins. They came and sat on me etc for 30 mins before mil mentioned they'd been ill.

No big deal? Well, my dd1 missed most of the last week of s1, other dc weren't so bad. But I have a neuro disability that is badly affected by a virus (in fact, means I lose the ability to walk). We checked with mil the day before : no, no viruses (though older nephew had been off school all week and she had looked after him, she knew).

We got ill after we got home late Sunday night. Dd1 started vomiting, others had nausea/temps. By Monday night I was running a temperature - dh had to help me downstairs on Tues morning (had to look after dc, he managed to get time off later but it's not easy for a GP in a small practice).

Tues-Fri I had to sleep on the sofa-bed and wash in the downstairs loo, I honestly couldn't get upstairs (and yes we are planning a downstairs shower room). I couldn't cook, could just manage to the toilet alone, tbh it was just my sheer bloody mindedness that kept me out of hospital. With ill children.

When mil phoned dh told her we'd been ill. She utterly denied that it had anything to do with her or bil's family ("you could have picked it up anywhere") despite the symptoms being identical. I missed a hospital appointment (we are told very clearly not to attend with a bug - for obvious reasons as the clinic is for people with my condition) and am now struggling until my next hospital treatment which I get at 6 weekly intervals (separate to consultant apt) and is usually very helpful - but not if you catch a virus the next week!! She said that she didn't tell us bil's family was ill as we "wouldn't have come". Bloody right!!

Apparently we're over-reacting, ungrateful, unreasonable and she won't talk to me (its all my fault, apparently. Yes, because I engineered a rare neuro condition only diagnosed 50 times a year in the uk).

I'm raging and don't want to see her or bil's family for a very long time. Dh also cross but thinks he should build bridges. I say that's their job. Ugh!!

OP posts:
Weegiemum · 02/07/2013 17:18

Oh, and they've known since my diagnosis 18 months ago to inform me of any d&v bugs which are especially nasty to me. I could cope with a cold.

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 02/07/2013 17:20

I think I would be a bit cross with someone who willingly exposed my family to a d&v bug, without talking to me about it first ... and I don't have any particular reason to mind them, at least not any more than anyone else.

How does your DH feel about all this?

monniemae · 02/07/2013 17:23

Oh my god. Poor you. I would be raging too. I think DH unfortunately needs to communicate to the rest of his family EXACTLY how dangerous etc this situation is for you and your family. If possible I would try and get some medical info / leaflet / links in to a v nice and "of course you wouldn't have known but in the future..." type email or letter. So that it is clearly coming from professionals that the advice is you musn't be exposed to this kind of thing.

Once he's done that I think you need to let it go - they'll finally "get it" (if, up to now, they've been assuming you were overreacting or egging it on a bit re the illness) - and hopefully there won't be a repeat - tough I know because they were clearly being awful and making assumptions about / choices for you when they shouldn't have been.

Ideally, they'll take the opportunity the letter gives them to say "oh gosh didn't realise so sorry" but if not I'm sure it will just be guilt / embarrassment that prevents an apology...

Good luck xx

Weegiemum · 02/07/2013 17:23

Dh is cross, but happy to just express the anger and move on.

On this occasion, due to the deliberate nature, I'm less forgiving.

OP posts:
monniemae · 02/07/2013 17:24

Sorry just to add, if you've already done all this (and it sounds like you might have done) maybe get DH to lie and say the consultant etc were extremely upset about you getting ill and although they can't be 100% certain where you got it from they've asked you to stress to your families and friends the importance of taking this seriously...

People are so annoying. We had things like this when my mum was having chemo. ARGH. x

SirBoobAlot · 02/07/2013 17:25

I'd be furious.

Hope you're bouncing back slowly. Flowers

Weegiemum · 02/07/2013 17:32

Ah SirBoob, hi!

I'm now getting around the house and even went to the hairdresser (in my wheelchair) at the weekend.

Mil hasn't called in over a week now. He might call her tonight, but he got angry with her denials last time and so he's wary - doesn't like getting angry!

OP posts:
MumnGran · 02/07/2013 17:33

Totally with you ..... until they have done some serious rethinking of their attitude towards your illness. Otherwise this stupidity may repeat at any future family gathering if she, again, fails to inform you of a circulating virus in case you "don't come".

I would suggest that bridge building from your end = your DH giving her the benefit of his full medical opinion, and then leaving her to stew until she apologises.

Weegiemum · 02/07/2013 17:39

MumnGran - he gave her that last week. Suspect that might be why the phone hasn't rung.

He's caving, though - doesn't want to fall out with his family, wants a discussion.

No idea what's going to happen next, I've never really been flavour of the month with the in-laws (dh was never going to move "home" but it's my fault in their eyes) and my illness has become another stick to beat us with.

OP posts:
Weegiemum · 02/07/2013 17:49

I'm going to try to talk it through again with him this evening.

Have to be logical. In rage,I never want to see them again. I know that's stupid, not an option. I just need as good a guarantee as I can get that there will be honesty about illnesses in the future.

Also trying not to be Shock that anyone would leave a child who'd vomited in the night with their Grannie and cousins at 7.15am!

OP posts:
Walkacrossthesand · 02/07/2013 18:44

Has this happened before & you've posted about it? Or maybe there's another poster with a debilitating illness, DCs and breathtakingly selfish in-laws...

Weegiemum · 02/07/2013 19:41

No, it has happened before. That's partly why I'm so cross. We've had issues before - them choosing outings I can't participate in, telling people who I don't care to tell the intricate details of my illness, coming to stay without asking (just turning up when I'm just out of hospital), telling my dc I'm not a good mum because I'm ill.

So it's just probably the last straw.

OP posts:
Doha · 02/07/2013 20:43

Weegiemum they sound awful. Almost as if they don't believe just how debilitating and serious your condition is also as you have said you have kept their DS away from them so you were never going to be flavour of the month.

Viking1 · 02/07/2013 20:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LoveBeingUpAt4InTheMorning · 02/07/2013 20:59

I think to move forward you have to hear what she said (not because she's right), she thought you wouldn't come (quite rightly) how often does she she you and your family?

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