I have just come across this article I wrote 2 years ago and thought I would share it here. It’s a little about my past dreams, my work and how I came to be a blogger.
A Flu jab and a brace of Pheasants.
From the age of five I wanted to join the Police
Years passed and I made myself known to many police forces throughout the UK and abroad following a letter published in the magazine Police Review. I was 13 and post started to arrive from all over the world from police officers , much to my Mother’s bemusement. I hadn’t told her!
I had recently watched Desmond Wilcox’s documentary “The Visit” about Pc Philip Olds QGM and his quest to walk again using a reciprocating brace. Philip was paralysed following a robbery shooting and confined to a wheelchair. The understandable anger and bitterness made Philip the perfect, bloody minded candidate to test Dr Gerold Petrofsky’s brace and the readers of the Daily Mail helped fund the visit with donations.
Being the young “go-getter” I was at 14, I managed to clear the security requirements and get to meet Philip. I was interviewing him for my entry to the “Post Office letter writing competition”.
To cut a long story short, Philip and I became friends. Later when it became necessary for someone to provide a period of respite care for him, he asked me. I was then 17 and had managed to spectacularly fail most of my GCE exams, much to the despair of my teachers at my wonderful girls Grammar school in Ashford.
That Summer, looking after Philip and his gorgeous labradors Wood and Donny, whilst re-taking exams was going to change my career direction for ever. I matured fast in those weeks, from school girl to adult really.
Philip said I was too kind to join the Police and felt I was better suited to Nursing. I also failed my entry to the Metropolitan cadets due to a toe joint injury sustained during my gymnastic career and my fate, in my mind was sealed.
Philip died and my parents separated in the same year a devastating combination.
I later met my husband to be and started my training as an Registered Nurse. I loved every minute, however, in the days of manual handling, my back didn’t and 16 months into my training had to leave due to agonising sciatica.
I then had a series of jobs from Ward Clerk at a private hospital to training to be a financial consultant alongside my husband but didn’t really settle. We had two sons and I settled into the role of stay at home Mum for a while.
The mother of a friend asked me if I was interested in doing a little housework for a lady whose husband had dementia. I was with her for 15 years and whilst also caring for my Mother in Law, my business as a self-employed home-help grew. I was happy in my new role, I could help people and care for them in a way I would not have been able to had I still been a nurse with the burgeoning levels of paperwork.
When both my sons left home in 2012 I had time on my hands and a gap to fill. I had always wanted to produce a newsletter providing advice and information for people caring for the elderly. Following a chance conversation with a friend it transpired he was pretty good at building websites.
I hit on the name “Caron Cares“, off the top of my head, as a starting point. I have never looked back I love blogging and have gone from totally useless, I couldn’t even copy and paste, to competent blogger.
I share useful information and amazing products with anyone caring for the elderly. I also have a soap box from where I air my thoughts about social care, the treatment of and attitudes towards the elderly.
In 2 years, in my spare time this has changed me. I am more confident, articulate and desperate to learn. My work on Caron Cares has earned me Royal commendation from HRH Princess Anne and I have been asked to form part of an advisory panel alongside Norman Niven of Bio dose and Prof Martin Green OBE !
I take part in community radio Q&A’s on all subjects elderly and am learning to podcast, what a journey. I still think the nicest thing to have come from all this though, is the fact I managed to help provide 3 elderly women in a remote Kenyan village with new wheelchairs. Please read Wheelchairs by Wings. It is an amazing story of kindness for and from strangers across the world.It is the special things like this and the wonderful people I meet that make my work all the more exciting.
……………. AND now look where I am !! The UK’s top individual Health and Social Care Blogger and soon to be Devon Life columnist and it’s all thanks to readers like you.x
