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rebjand

Hello, I am new to AlzConnect and having trouble finding anyone out there to chat with about caring for my spouse. Thanks if you can help.

Joe C.

rabjand, Welcome and sorry that you needed to seek us out. The are lots of great people here with lots of wisdom they are willing to share. Feel free to as any questions you have, there is probably extremely little that someone else on this site has not been through.

rebjand

thank you for answering me! That is progress. Hard to navigate this site. I am growing more impatient with my LO as the days progress. 

Joe C.

One of the challenges of this journey is trying not to get frustrated with our LOs. They may have little or no comprehension to what is happening and we constantly have to adjust our expectations & approach as time goes on. For example, today I am putting curtain on our bathroom mirror because DW no longer recognizes her reflection and does not want to undress in front of “those people”. We are in our 8th year of this journey and it has been a continuous process of adjusting and adapting. If you have specific question or concern do not hesitate to ask.

60 falcon

Hi rebjand. I agree with what Joe C. said.  You'll get used to the way to navigate around this website.  There's so much to read and learn from.  At first I found it depressing to read about all the things we're going to be dealing with, although every situation is different and our loved ones may not experience all the things you'll read about.  Now, instead of getting depressed from what I read here, I am comforted knowing I'm not alone.  

This is a great group of people here.  Ask anything you want.  This is a great place to just vent for those days when you just need to get it out.

rebjand

Thank you so much for giving concrete examples. My spouse was my hero and amazing leader of our marriage. Passing the baton to me has been painfully difficult. We moved from the Midwest to the Deep South to be near to my son who is providing leadership for us. Daily life is the worst. My spouse needs my constant direction, reminders and encouragement. His family stronghold has always been the male in charge type of thinking. His mother, and two out of three brothers had or currently have Alzheimer’s. I don’t like online virtual groups. Just want to talk to a real person in person.

rebjand

Thank you 60 Falcon. You are kind to reply.

Ed1937

Rebjand, welcome to the forum. Sorry you too are dealing with this. Be assured that you have found a good place to interact with others who are facing the same rough road.

rebjand

Thank you Ed1937. I may chat with you all in the middle of the night! Sometimes I cannot sleep

Joe C.

One suggestion I have is to look for a caregiver support group in your area, we can search one on the main Alz page. Although most of these meeting are online at the moment due to Covid restrictions, it would allow you to meet other caregivers in your area. This may give you the face to face contact you are seeking. These group are also a good place to learn what resources are available in your area.

rebjand

Thank you. I have a local virtual meeting on my Feb calendar as of today. God bless you all for your help.

CStrope

Hang in there. As stressful as this all is, it's comforting to know you can always hop onto the message boards and  there will be someone there listening to you vent, or ask for advice.