Handle with Care: My life as a young carer, the loss of my parents and how I learned to live again

Description

This is the story of 25 year old Rochelle as she nurses her mum through a terminal brain tumour having already lost her dad to pancreatic cancer, aged 14. Based on the author's popular blog, this accessible guide provides a unique in-depth look at the reality of being a young carer. After her mum's initial misdiagnosis of a stroke, Rochelle decides to give up her party-girl lifestyle in Leeds, along with her job in Marketing and lovely flat she shared with her boyfriend, and move 200 miles home to the not-so buzzing metropolis of Ipswich. We follow the timeline of the illness, including finding out her mum's cancer was terminal, becoming a full time carer, splitting up with her boyfriend, being by her mum's side as she passed away, planning her funeral and finding her way again after her mum's death. Prepare for a tear-jerking journey as Rochelle navigates the changing family dynamics with her two young sisters, the financial and emotional pressure of being a full-time carer, and the challenges of rebuilding your life after the loss of a loved one. But it's not all doom and gloom. This heart-warming account is bursting with practical tips and advice to ease the pressure when someone you love is ill, as well as laugh-out-loud moments.

Having lost both of parents by her mid-20s, Rochelle felt there wasn't much support for people her age. She found that nobody was talking about how things affect young people, as if everyone presumes that from your mid-teens to your mid-thirties, you will be too busy Instagramming photos from your holiday in Ibiza and going for a cheeky Nandos to ever have to worry about losing someone you love. She wanted to change that, which is why she started her blog (abugsslife.com) has written this book.