£19.00
1000 in stock
Living With Pancreatitis
By Brenda Prentice
ISBN: 9781847475978
Published: 2008
Pages: 556
Key Themes: Pancreatitis, Depression, Health care, Health
Social care
, Carers
, Justice system
, Housing
, Disability
, Binge drinking
, Ombudsmen
, Mental Health
, Support Groups
, Health care education for professionals
Description
This is a moving story of how an ordinary family learnt to cope with the incurable, debilitating and often terminal disease of Pancreatitis. The first symptoms appeared when Andrew was just fifteen and after 20 years he lost complete pancreatic function. This robbed him of his job, wife, home and self-respect.
Often mistaken for an alcoholic or drug addict, it was a constant struggle to receive any help. He could live on the streets as homeless without detriment, the same as any other homeless person.
This resulted in deep depression, self-harm and several suicide attempts. There is no justice.
About the Author
Like many people, Brenda Prentice does not like to see injustice. When her adopted son, who was chronically ill with 20 years of Pancreatitis, became homeless, he was told he could live on the streets as homeless like any other homeless person. There was no help from Social Services, the Housing Authority or some Medics. She took up the issues with the Healthcare Ombudsman, Local Government Ombudsman and the Parliamentary Ombudsman to no avail and after five years all denied any wrong doing. The way he was treated brought further mental health problems of depression, self harm and attempted suicide.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Michelle Lowe (verified owner) –
As a sufferer of pancreatitis, this book touched me in ways I cannot even begin to describe. To have the opportunity to learn more about how this rare and often misunderstood and misinterpreted disease effects the lives of others is true gift. I was often moved to tears and at times, great frustration as I could identify with many of the circumstances Brenda and her family found themselves in. Being a mother myself, I could feel Brenda’s pain as she has watched her son Andrew go through a living hell for many years. The book is emotive and moving and its powerful impact has left an indelible mark on. Its a ‘must read’ for anybody afflicted with this pancreatitis or anybody trying to find information about this disease. It should also be required reading for anybody in the medical profession. Over and above that, it is a book which also has a much wider appeal as the story of a mother’s unconditional love for her son, Andrew’s struggle to keep moving forward and face each new day with the challenges they bring and how incredible and strong the human spirit can be.
Stuart Wood (verified owner) –
The story of Andrew should be required reading for those who work in social care. Andrew developed a terribly painful and debilitating disease that effects the pancreas, and the story shows a cataloque of errors by the NHS and ‘care’ system, where he kept falling through the net. He lost his health, marriage, home and almost lost his life through neglect. The story has been written by his mother Brenda, as part of the fight, by his family, for help and justice for Andrew and also draw attention to failings in the system, in the hope that the same things wont happen to others.