Wife who is carer is really a wonderful, loving, angel

June 5, 2017 / Ian Franks / Leave a comment

It’s been an eventful few days for the two of us at home here in Spain.

On Saturday, nine days ago, my beloved Lisa asked me to help put the washing out to dry. It’s an easy job that I can do sitting down, so I readily agreed. The trouble was that it was not one of my best days. Thanks to multiple sclerosis, I managed to fall while walking out of the back door onto our terrace.

I still have no idea how but the nail of the big toe on my left foot was torn upright. It was 90 degrees from its usual position. There was pain and blood – and plenty of the red stuff.

carer My wife Lisa is also my carer and is quite used to me spending time on the floor and could not see my injury, so she didn’t rush to my side. But she certainly arrived fast enough when I told her what was wrong.

In next to no time, she had stopped the bleeding and strapped up my toe. Luckily, once bandaged, the pain eased so that it only hurt if touched.

Wife and carer is an angel

A couple of days later, I visited our doctor. He removed the dressing and the nail came off with it. The wound started to bleed again but he quickly stopped it and sent me to a nurse to get it redressed. That started a series of one visit every two days, something I had to get used to here. The Spanish health service goes the extra mile to see that patients receive the best treatment.

However, these regular visits to the health centre are putting more stress on Lisa. Lifting my electric wheelchair out of, and back into, our car is a task that should not be repeated often. Meanwhile, at home, she is doing virtually all the work. She is my carer and refuses to ask me to help in case I am hurt again. In fact, while doing anything involving standing or walking is difficult, I try to do what I can.

One thing though, Lisa is always so grateful for whatever help I can give. But all she does for me makes her even more than my loving wife and carer.

She is my wonderful, loving, guardian angel who walks here on earth.

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50shadesofsun.com is the personal website of Ian Franks, a Features Writer with Medical News Today. He enjoyed a successful career as a journalist, from reporter to editor in the print media. He gained a Journalist of the Year award in his native UK. Ian received a diagnosis of MS in 2002 and now lives in the south of Spain. He uses a wheelchair and advocates on mobility and accessibility issues.

MS Love and Care, as Only a Superwife Can Provide

February 22, 2017 / Ian Franks / 2 Comments

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Thoughts of love were brought to the forefront of many people’s minds on Valentine’s Day, which is widely celebrated by couples both young and not so young. They usually buy cards and enjoy romantic dinners.

In our case, Feb. 14 also is Lisa’s birthday. So, to me, that is more important. We went out for her birthday meal — in fact two — lunch and dinner. And very good they were, too.

love But that got me thinking, Lisa is my wife and, as I have multiple sclerosis, also is my carer. However, she says that whatever she does as my carer is only what any loving wife would do for her husband. And, while I can see that is true to a certain extent, it actually goes further.

There can be little doubt that wives, or husbands, of people with MS do have to contend with more than those of people without a disability. Lisa, for example:

Provides extra support while I walk a little outdoors;
Gets my wheelchair in and out of the car;
Helps me to get up after a fall;
Deals with extra laundry if my bladder problems cause an accident;
Takes full responsibility for my medications, ensuring I take them at the right times;
Does all cooking, because I cannot do so safely;
Does all cleaning and other housework, because I cannot stand up long enough to help. (I do what I can sitting down);
Helps me shower, especially below my knees;
Helps me to dress as I cannot fasten buttons, tie shoelaces or do anything that requires manual dexterity;
Is my personal manicurist and podiatrist, taking care of my fingernails and toenails, because my weak left hand is incapable of cutting the nails of my right hand, and I cannot bend forward enough to deal with my toenails.

Lisa maintains she does nothing special and it is all part of being my wife. She says she does it because she loves me. Well, I can see her point, but I also have my own opinion: The additional work of a carer requires something more than a wife; it needs a Superwife. Yes, it involves love too, the type of love that involves being prepared to do anything. Lisa is such a Superwife with that deep, committed love. I am so blessed to have her by my side.

How does your wife, husband or partner care for you? I’d love to hear and share your story.

This article, written by me, was first published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today.

ian-skype_edited 50shadesofsun.com is the personal website of Ian Franks, who is Managing Editor (columns division) of BioNews Services. BioNews is owner of 50 disease/disorder-specific news and information websites – including MS News Today. Ian has enjoyed a successful career as a journalist, from reporter to editor, in the print media. During that career he gained a Journalist of the Year award in his native UK. He was diagnosed with MS in 2002 but continued working until mobility problems forced him to retire early in late 2006. He now lives in the south of Spain. Besides MS, Ian is also able to write about both epilepsy and cardiovascular matters from a patient’s perspective and is a keen advocate on mobility and accessibility issues.

Taking care of a partner with a disability can be a labour of love

August 13, 2016 / Ian Franks / 2 Comments

Perhaps the most overlooked people in the world of disabilities are not the people living with ds abilities but those living with them – the husband or wife who take cares of their loved one.

They are the family carers who devote so much of their lives doing all sorts of things which can include dressing them, feeding them, washing them and even assisting with toileting needs. And a that, and more, adds up to great deal of hard work.

My beloved Lisa pushed me in my wheelchair around New York City in December 2014. Here we are at te top of the Empire State Building.

My beloved Lisa pushed me in my wheelchair around New York City in December 2014. Here we are at the top of the Empire State Building.

As I have multiple sclerosis, my loving wife Lisa is also my carer. She fastens buttons, puts on my socks, helps me to shower, makes sure I can eat the food on my plate with my one good hand, does all the housework without assistance and takes care of the garden. What’s more she pushes me around in a wheelchair.

Lisa is reluctant to be labelled as a carer, however, saying that she looks after me out of love as my wife. I am sure many husband and wife carers feel exactly the same way.

Each caring situation is unique and carers have many different needs. They may need information about entitlements, services and individual and group support and social opportunities. In the UK, every family carer can also undergo a Carers Assessment which could open up many opportunities for them including time out from caring, sitting services and physical help with their caring role.

By joining a carers’ support group, they can socialize with their peers and get help with their entitlements to benefits and services, breaks, education or employment.

And they can get help to access grants and benevolent funds so that they can buy items which will benefit them in their caring role.

Really important, though, carers can join a carers’ support group where they can have a chat and get a chance to meet new friends.

Wheelchair partners – from ‘my rock’ to hard places

April 22, 2016 / Ian Franks / 2 Comments

Wednesday’s question about staying with a partner who used a wheelchair was quite enlightening with a much greater response than expected. And, while the ‘research sample’ was not representative of society as a whole, it certainly brought out some personal tales of love and others of sadness.

I am not a researcher or a statistician so there will be no attempt to analyse the answers in terms of numbers. Detailed facts and figures are not what we need, it’s more an impression.

When looking towards the future, most people answered that they would stay but those that spoke from experience had both happy and sad stories to tell. Here are just a few:

Keith: My ex waited for my final diagnosis .. 34 years down the pan ..lol

Sarah: Damn right I would, I waited 29 years for my man, and I would never leave his side xx

KD: That’s a great question, because I’m the woman in the wheel chair, and had meets with my cane, and they told me they didn’t date women with canes…. I haven’t bothered to try and date now that my legs are going.

Simone: I would, but my ex-partner didn’t… 😦

Helen: My husband is my rock since I becoming paralysed… If anything it has made our relationship stronger…

Jesse: My wife just left 2 months ago.

Maggie: I DID STAY….RIGHT TO THE END. AND WOULD HAVE HAD IT NO OTHER WAY….MISS THAT GUY SO MUCH…

Karen: I have given my husband the option to leave on several occasions. so far he has stayed but I know he has considered leaving.

Antonio: 33 years she has stood by my side, led, had my back . . .she has pushed and pulled when we needed to. . . so I would without missing a heartbeat!!

Janice: Mine left me to fight this mostly alone except my Dad, Stepmother and Stepsister that isn’t including the dogs Including MY dog.

Tami: Many of you are VERY blessed! This is my 2nd marriage; I’m not sure if he’s on his way out or if I’m giving him the push that he needs to “go”… I just know that it’s happening because I can’t stand the thought of making him stay & I feel HE can’t stand the thought of having to stay – It sucks because I’m only 48 & I’m already seeing myself alone for the rest of my life – But it IS what it IS I suppose.

Jason: I’ve just started getting worse and using a cane 100% of the time now, my fiancé of 5yrs now decides this isn’t for her, she wants a man that can run with her…. It’s not easy trying to stay positive and keep fighting this Monster.

Dave: Mine kicked me out. “What good are you for me anymore?”

Sammi: When I was first diagnosed I thought my fiancé of 9 years would be with me still now but sadly 2 days later he ended our relationship which hit me really hard. But I then met someone else 6 years later who I had told from the start of our relationship and when I started worsening after 3 years together it happened all over again…we split just before our 4th year together and the utter feeling of sadness and stressing coz of it I ended up being in a wheelchair myself and now live alone!! With just my mum who’s my primary career and lives just round the corner, but I say it to her often that this is all round the wrong way it should be me looking after her not her looking after me!! But if I was with someone who was in a wheelchair I’d stay with them coz I’d see past the chair and see the person…. Sad it wasn’t that way for me and have lost faith that I would ever find that someone special who WOULD see past my chair.

Would you stay if your partner used a wheelchair?

April 20, 2016 / Ian Franks / 5 Comments

Every so often we see, on Facebook, and perhaps other social media sites, a drawing of someone in a wheelchair – accompanied by a question along the lines of “If this happened to your partner, would you stay?”

Most people who reply say “Yes” but what of the vast majority who don’t comment?

Then there are sad tales such as people who use wheelchairs saying they don’t want to be a burden and telling their partners to leave them. Others who say that they are getting used, or have got used, to being alone since their partner left and still others who say that being in a wheelchair means they will never find a partner.

But there is hope as many people with disabilities do have loving relationship that survives one of them becoming a wheelchair user.

In my case, I have multiple sclerosis and have mobility issues and so need to use a wheelchair if there is a need to travel more than 10 metres or so; otherwise I have to sit and take a break.

Lisa is my second wife. We were married in 2011 after both of our previous marriages ended in divorce. But, here I must say that my first marriage did not end because of MS. I kept nothing from Lisa before we got married; She knew I had MS and what it could mean. Yet, knowing the problems, Lisa said “yes” to my proposal and we were married on a Florida beach at sunset on October 31 2011.

Now, I’ll let Lisa take up the story:

Long ago, when my grandfather was still alive, all I ever heard from him is that he wished God would take him. See, he had MS and I, as a child, didn’t know much about it. In fact, at that time, no-one knew much about MS. My grandfather chose to ‘suffer’ from his disability while Ian ‘lives’ with it.

You might argue that everyone suffers from MS but that is just not true. Ian decided long ago that he would focus on those things that he can still do and not fret about what is no longer possible. We have a very full life.

We both enjoy travel. While Ian felt more free riding about on his scooter while on holiday, I prefer that he use a wheelchair, mainly for selfishness on my part. He, on the other hand, is anything but selfish and the scooter has now gone¹. He cares about others who live with MS because he knows that he is in a better position than most.

Sometimes I worry about how MS will progress inside of him in the years to come. He doesn’t worry about it at all and he is right, there is nothing he can do about that, so why worry.

¹ Yes, the scooter has gone, for the simple reason that, if it ran out of power, it was difficult and painful for Lisa to push me. We know, it happened just the once. Now, I have two wheelchairs, one powered, one manual. The power chair gives me independence to do things by myself while the manual one is more useful for short trips and if we go out in a friend’s car. Anyway, Lisa says that she loves ‘pushing me around’. LOL. Oh, and the power chair can be pushed if it ever runs out of ‘juice’; best of both worlds.