Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Art Therapy

Its true that art is therapy. I have just struggled through a difficult week. My Aunty has dementia, last week she fell and broke her arm....that's not the end of the story though, she won't keep the pot on. Its just one week since her fall and already she's had six pots on. They know our names at A & E.
A friend of mine is a Sister in the A & E Department and she happened to be on duty when we returned (for the 3rd time) They decided to put the pot up over the elbow so that my Aunty wouldn't be able to take it off. Judith said as she was putting the pot on, "If she gets this off she'll be Houdini!"
Well Houdini she was. Seven hours later we were back at the hospital. Aunty Glad thought it was "an outing" My Sister, Uncle and I were quite distressed that her mental health had deteriorated to this point. Long story short, my Aunty was re-potted and sent home. The next morning I had a call from my Uncle to say she had taken it off again! This was the sixth time.
There has been much said on the news about Dementia recently, indeed it is a cruel disease. No-one can know the impact it has on the whole family until you are going through it.

I was ill myself on Monday and Tuesday (partly due to the weekend activities... I think I picked up a bug. Also sitting in casualty is mind numbing!) So I've not been to the hospital since Sunday... I've shed a few tears over all this, so this morning decided to do a journal page as a little therapy...

I drew the image myself, inspired by a few drawings I had seen on other blogs, namely Kate and Dyan (you can also link to both from my side bar)
You can find out how I did it here It's a Teesha Moore drawing lesson. While you are at it, check out Teesha's website, she has great collage sheets and stamps.

And while I'm updating my blog, here is my art calendar, which I'm happy to say has kept me sane. I have managed to keep up my entry for each day. As I said before, because the journal blocks are only 1 and a half inch square, it's easy to do.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Sandra, so sorry to read about your Auntie and all the upset that you've had over the past week. Your page looks fantastic - really impressed with the drawing! Take care and keep up with the therapy!!! xxx

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  2. Oh I hope things get better for everyone soon. It is so very sad......... Lovin the journals and glad they are keeping you sane. I am enjoying doing the calendar one, and hope it will make me 'brave' a bigger one soon. Watch this space lol. x

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  3. HI Hun

    Dementia is the cruelest of things, Craig's Mum has it and the frequent flier miles he does sorting hiccup after hiccup, todays is that fact that she's lost her purse so off he's gone again to try and piece together where it is and if it's not retrievable what was in it so he can cancel it and the saddest thing is you know that it's only ever going to get worse! I really don't think I could do with losing my mind. Your journaling is beautiful and definitely something that helps in times of stress!

    (((((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))))))))))))))
    Virginia

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  4. so sorry to read about your Auntie, what a cruel disease dementia is. Thank goodness for journal therapy - your page says it all, and I am glad you are finding the calendar just what you need to record those daily thoughts.

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  5. I am so sorry about your Aunt, any illness is hard, but to see the ones you love change with the loss of memory I think is one of the hardest!

    Journals are wonderful places to let it all out.

    You are doing a great job in yours!

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  6. Sandra, there's some fab stuff on your Blog - I spent a happy half hour reading back earlier in the day. Glad your friend won - sad that we have to have any 'losers' and you'll never know how close you came - your name was on the list until I made a final decision... I had to recount when I found that a few people had commented twice, or you would have been one of the winners. Perhaps your friend will share?

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  7. Sorry to hear all your sad news. It's strange though how distress can do great things for our art. Your pages are lovely, I especially like the upside down drawing. And your calendar is looking truly fab :-) Kate x

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  8. Hi gorgeous, your page is extra faba lishus, just like you. xxx

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