A Roller Coaster of Emotions

In this episode Nathan Plumridge talks about his father and the emotional roller coaster of being a carer and finding out some pretty bad news. He wishes to share this information because it was pivotal in his life with his father but also to give an insight into the experiences they shared together.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Me and my Dad had a business and we were best mates. We argued about most things, but we always managed to sort it out and make up. It was an incredible part of my life. After a year and a half in the new premises something got in the way.  Dad was caring for my Mum who suffered from MS. As a carer you forget about yourself, because the person you care for has to come first. Over a period of time he started to notice aches and pains and lots of other little niggles that were becoming more regular. He went to the doctor and within a week he was given the news that he had terminal cancer. I was sat in the room when he was given the diagnosis, it was such a surreal, horrific moment and life changed forever. He stopped work straight away because he couldn’t deal with the number of people asking if he was OK, which I totally understood. I reduced my hours to three days a week so I could spend more time with him walking, having dinners and drinks. It felt wrong that Dad was leaving us just when life was starting to be so good. But good things came of it too, we talked and talked about all sorts of things both good and bad. The day he passed there was the biggest rainbow over the hospice and my kids still say today when they see a rainbow “there’s grandad”.   BEST MOMENTS ‘The business hit a wall created by my Dad.’ ‘Dad was given 18 months at best. He tried chemo, which didn’t agree with him and he said enough’s enough, I want to enjoy what time is left day-to-day.’ ‘If somebody gives you 6 months to live, why do people go out and do things, why didn’t they do it before?’ ‘I look back at that time and hold it so close to my heart.’ ‘If you’re a carer, look after yourself. Because if something happens to you, what happens to those you care for?’ ABOUT THE HOST Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been a salon owner for 23 of them. I have been fortunate enough to work and learn with some of the biggest names in the industry and this has given me the experience and drive to now be here with you sharing my experiences. CONTACT DETAILS Website: https://energyhair.com/  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @nathan.hairlifeThis show was brought to you by Progressive Media