Hi there,
My mum has had a bad time of it. I guess we both have but I have my wife and daughters to keep me sane.
The only family really have is my parents and my nan, they moved up from the south 8 years ago, and then nan died 6 years ago to Pancreatic cancer, and then dad 3 years ago to brain cancer.
Nan was bad, but she was very old, Dad was awful, he was ill for a few weeks and then mum called me in a state saying she'd wondered where he was and he was half dressed 3 hours after going up, and then he started spasming.
We got to hospital and they thought he'd had a stroke, but pretty soon it was cancer. He deteriorated over a month, forgetting everything it was like altzhiemers at speed, he tried to commit suicide twice, and then he eventually passed away on the about 2 months after being admitted.
That entire time was a nightmare. I was working full days then traveling 2 hours to Hull from work and then back to Leeds around midnight every day. Weekends we were with Mum and then looking for homes, and then hospices until he passed away.
We spent most of the first year going to my mum's at weekends to keep her eating, but we see her less now just due to the girls getting older and having stuff to do at the weekends.
I know it's nothing to what people go though for years but the intensity of it was insane, I have a very stressful job anyway and this pushed me to breaking point. For the most I held it together but I was depressed for most of the next year. I did ask for help and around Easter the next year I got some counseling (about 4 sessions). Most of the time I'm OK, but I do feel sorry for mum and she's never really recovered. She's aged in herself.
But something that's kept happening since my dad died is any film with strong emotion, I find it really hard to keep together, and end up crying, Disney's, Star Wars, Mamma Mia!
I guess this is a very long way of saying does anyone else have this? does it go away? or do I need help?