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How do you respond to offers of help?
Just Want to Talk | Last Active: Jun 5 11:31am | Replies (103)Comment receiving replies
I wouldn't know.
When I had a stroke, I didn't get any offers of help.
More than half the people I emailed/texted about the stroke never responded at all. (I couldn't call them because my speech was pretty slurred initially.)
In all fairness, most of them live far away, but still.
Replies to "I wouldn't know. When I had a stroke, I didn't get any offers of help. More..."
That had to be very hurtful to not even get acknowledgment of what you were going through. I appreciate that they were far away, but as you said, still.............a response, an acknowledgement would have been supportful. Had I been on the receiving end of your email/text, I am pretty sure I would have responded. I'm sorry you went through that. 🥹 You deserved more.
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I’m fortunate that until recently I’ve never needed physical help. My instinct is to crawl in a closet and come out when I’m better. And I assume that real friends will sort of know what I might need.
Years ago I had back surgery and my surgeon said I couldn’t do stairs for a week. The bathroom was on the same level as my bedroom, so I was upstairs. For a week, one of my neighborhood friends walked in with a picnic basket with all the food and drink I would need until my husband got home from work, brought it upstairs, and sat it beside my bed. . They didn’t ask, and it was a godsend.
I got the help I needed changing surgical dressing recently from home health. But I’m not likely to ask for anything specific from friends or family.
We live in the UK. My husband had a stroke last year. We did eventually get 6 weeks of help from the team of stroke nurses and they were great, but no help from anywhere or anyone else. I have learnt that when the chips are down you are very much on your own. In my time I have been there for so many people in so many ways, it was hard to take that there was no one there for me.
Oh my gosh.....none texted or e-mailed you back? Those are the easiest thing in the world to do! It doesn't matter HOW far they live from you.....a text, an e-mail.....what is simpler? Were these people friends before the stroke happened? All I can say is, if someone is a REAL friend, they will get back to you in a way that is easiest for YOU. I could NEVER just ignore something like that. There is no excuse. I really hope that you are doing better! Thanks for listening....LOL it is after 2:00 a.m., time for a bath!! Take care now and please stay as well as you can.
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@scottrl, what do you wish people would've said had they responded? What would've been helpful for you? Or your family?