Circles and circles and circles

howdoidothis

I teach elementary school, which means I have circular conversations all day.

I have a parent in early stages of degenerative brain disease, which means I go home and have circular conversations.

I foresee lots of screaming in my car.

daughtermotherK

I too teach (preK SPED). I can relate

SDianeL

we know how you feel. It helped me to remember it’s the disease. I also stopped thinking of my spouse as my husband and instead thought of him as my patient and me his nurse. It’s important to take breaks from caregiving.

AlzWife2023

This is such helpful advice. I’ve moved past the denial and pain and I’ve let go of the idea that my DH is still in any way anything to me but a patient. It seems cruel to us both in theory but in practice it’s was too complicated and exhausting to go on pretending just b/c he can remind me of who he used to be every now & then. I stopped living in the past and that has allowed me to move forward. Taking care of him is a job, that’s it & I need breaks. When I don’t get them, I loose my patience and I get angry and depressed.

nanettecd

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/225013#Comment_225013

How do I take breaks? If I get up from sitting in the same room she asks where I'm going. If I say I'm going to the store she asks to go with me. I have moved her into my home because she had gotten so far along that I felt I had to and finally got her to agree.