Do you receive empathy from your family?

"They are not able to face the reality....." Defense mechanisms kick in, are very protective and powerful, and unfortunately don't allow for understanding and compassion. They may need you to have understanding and sympathy. Ironic.

I understand how you are feeling and I know the hurt it’s causing you. I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out what is wrong with my situation, I realize that it happens and more often than I ever thought. I too have a younger sister who has always been narcissistic and I don’t think she’s capable of caring about others, two years ago I had a 2nd lung cancer surgery and about two weeks later she called me to complain about some problem she’s having with her home, no interest in how I was doing…it hurts me a lot and I struggle endlessly to push these feelings away. I also have two sons who don’t really show much support for me, they almost have an attitude towards me and they say things like they have friends that have cancer or some have passed away, then they mention how old they were, it makes me feel like they’re saying I’m older so it’s what older people deal with or perhaps they’re implying that I have lived longer than their friends. It’s a very uncomfortable situation that I didn’t anticipate, it’s broken my heart many times over but I find strength in prayer because it’s really all I have and I try harder to love myself so that I can cope with this. The world has changed dramatically since the pandemic started and I sometimes feel like a stranger trying to fit in, however since I came here for help the rewards have been very helpful for me and I also try to give back some comfort to others who need help.

I am having a similar issue. My answer. Hard boundaries. Stop telling the person about your health issues. Decide what you can talk with them about. Decide what is of value to you on the relationship. Unfortunately people lack a lot of empathy now.

@kb2014 Thanks. She and my son are the only family I have.
They have my POA, and Medical POA,so I try to keep them up to date.

The fact that I am heading towards dementia, and need to find a memory care facility I needed them.

I am so sorry you are experiencing this. I did not understand you have some dementia. In my case I have a seizure and extreme unnecessary emotional distress can trigger seizures so I have and am again working on my boundaries. Boundaries with consequences.

@SusanEllen66 It seems like you are doing the best you can do. Offer them the information you need to give them. If they choose to disregard it, it is not because you didn't supply it to them, right? It would be great if they would read and ask ask questions if needed, but they cannot be forced to.

You could let them know you are disappointed to feel like they are not listening to you. Don't expect a reply from them if you tell them that, but it might make you feel better. And truthfully, disclosure from you to update them in your situation, may make them very uncomfortable. They are then having to look truthfully at the situation, which might be hard for them. They want to recall you as you have been in the past, not how you are now. @kb2014 had the right idea.

Just my humble opinion.
Ginger

Absolutely not! I received hurtful things quite the opposite.

So true! I think capitalism has taken over, and people no longer think of others.

I know how this feels. I had to move back in with family after hitting my head at 35mph on a bicycle at night as the sidewalk wasn't flush so I flipped over the bike my front left a forehead hit around smacked. I was unconscious good thing. My friend was with me and called 911. The sad part is, I was in and out of consciousness, but do remember the paramedics being happy that I wasn't a covid patient, because that's all they kept seeing was covid. Then I started working in 2023, at big lots. While pushing a pallet of water and and a 80 pound object struck me in the back of the back in the head, I got yelled at by my boss about this isn't how we go about workman's comp when I didn't want anything from him. I took 3 months off of work. As I was unable to stay awake for a month. So I slept for a month straight wasn't able to walk wasn't able to deal with any of the Sun or lights or screens, when I was awake for a month and I was seeing Angels and Demons and I thought I was losing my mind and there are good people out there that want to help. I have found that social workers in healthcare and everything else are better than regular family. Doctors and just doctors and general the neurologists I've seen and my area are like point 25 stars out of 5, and they talk so fast. But I can't comprehend them, but they won't let loved ones come back with me. I have no control over my assets over anything. My mom keeps pushing me to get my Driver's license but yet I can't even walk a straight line. She holds all the power that doesn't care how I'm feeling. As all she talks about is her nephrology patients, she is a nurse practitioner of nephrology. So I have found it most helpful to go to church every Sunday and cry. My eyes out and pray to God. Prayer has been my number one thing that has helped me through this to go that you are not alone. God is with you. God will fight with you. God will have your back, people. Don't care. God cares. My Grandma always used to say, never put your faith and to man. Put into God as people always let you down unfortunately. On top of all that I have C-PTSD, epilepsy before the TBI in 2020, another TBI in 2023 and then smacked my head against a steel beam at Publix. The workman's comp at publix in florida is terrible i went to the neurologist that was covered under the workman's cop. He didn't listen to anything. I said he was spouting off about how 51% of your problems have to be from what just happened. Well, sir, I was able to walk a straight line. I was able to hold my head up. But for all of this, I was able to remember a little bit of things. But this just set me back to 2023, and he just wasn't listening. Then he wrote an MRI for the brain. But without contrast, what sucks is these companies do this? And you wanted me to go to the emergency room right away for a Ct that I had to wait a month to get an MRI away. It shows the bulging disks in my neck. So I'm having servogenic headaches along with the persistent post concusso. Syndrome, along with, I never used to get this angry and flip out. And then start crying, these are all news things. And he just not listening to me on top of that, he gave me prescriptions. That we're not even under my correct name. He spelt the last name wrong. So I pray to God, but I've even taking the right medications because after taking them yesterday, I was not able to walk a straight line. I thought I was going to have a stroke. I did not feel good. I was sick. I couldn't do nothing but lay in a dark room. Cry My eyes out, I'm pray to God. Just let me die in my sleep if i'm gonna die as i'm not going to the hospital.Just to be turned away again, because people don't seem to care anymore. If it doesn't affect them, then they don't care. The sad reality is, I was a nurse before all of this. And I could never imagine turning away from people like this. I would sit there and study all of these things which I hope to do 1 day again. I was my physical therapist, had a concussion years ago. I knew all of the things that I was going through. I was falling my eyes out in the office because when I laid my head back, I laid down, it felt so good working on vestibular, then I was supposed to go see a spy and all doctor and it's just taking forever all of this is taking forever and the longer that you wait, the worse it gets.

I am so sorry you have to endure. I have two painful MS like chronic illnesses that are invisible, so I know how you feel. I've lost more friends than you can count, and sometimes my family doesn't quite understand it either. I count on my two senior rescue dogs, Ruby and Hayduke. All the best to you, and every one of us.