Hollyoaks actress Denise Welch has opened up on spending her 63rd birthday by her dad’s bedside in hospital after his recent surgery.
The Loose Women panellist had previously shared her dad was "really poorly" in hospital on the ITV lunchtime show.
She went to pay her dad a visit on Sunday as she celebrated her latest birthday by his side.
Denise gave her fans a fairly optimistic update in regards to her own mental health as well as her dad’s ongoing hospital stay.
She told her Instagram followers: “So today I'm 63. But although things are tough at the minute I feel physically and mentally stronger than I have for years."
"I’ve never been so busy work wise, I’m looking after myself, exercising regularly and have been 20 months without a visit from 'the unwelcome visitor', the longest in 32 yrs without a major depressive episode.
"I don't know what the reason is to be honest but I'm just very grateful.”
But she went on to add: “But of course today May 22nd is also the anniversary of my mum Annie’s death so it’s always bittersweet.
"I miss her every day and would love her to have lived to have seen how my sobriety has changed my life and the lives of those who love me."
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"I also wish she’d known Lincoln and known that he would look after me and keep me safe. Debbie and I are so lucky to have the parents we have had.'
Denise addressed her dad’s illness after many had fans had asked how he was getting on.
She thanked those sending well wishes, sharing: “To those asking after our dad, the legend that is Vin Welch, thank you.
"After months of no appetite and extreme weight loss, he has had complications after very difficult gallbladder removal surgery and has been very poorly indeed.
Luckily she reassured them he is “slowly making a comeback” after dubbing him the “most amazing man.”
"I’m spending my birthday today with him in hospital and will tell him about all the love for him that has poured in.
"He’s had postoperative delirium which I’d never heard of before and is more common than I thought and I’m looking further into.
“It’s been a tough few weeks for my family but I’m grateful for them all."
"I must also today send so much love to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the Manchester arena bombing 4 yrs ago today and those who are still living with the mental scars,” Denise concluded.
Denise became tearful on an instalment of Loose Women earlier this week when she told her co-stars her dad was currently in hospital in Newcastle during a discussion about how technology could be alienating the elderly.
"He has really struggled with not being able to have people round to the house to do certain things as regards banking and things like that,"
After revealing her dad was in hospital, she added. “It’s just been really, really tough but all of these things have added to the fact that he can’t understand."
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