We can do this!



I know some professional caregivers who say that if they had to do this without time off or vacation time, they would go insane. Yet we who do it 24 hours a day, seven days a week without help or respite, can go on this way for years and years. While watching someone we love deteriorate physically and mentally day by day.
How are we able to do this? For one thing, it's a labor of love. Despite the frustration and ambiguous grief, we keep going and learning better ways to care for our loved ones. I'm not asking for praise, but I am suggesting that we honor our own ability to keep doing what needs to be done. We need help though, and sometimes we ask for it. And it hurts when we get turned down, but we keep going. And we still find things to be grateful for; the little victories, the "good days", some pleasant surprises, some inspiring posts or compassionate communication from a friend. Or an awesome sunset to soothe our souls. In spite of everything, life is good.
Comments
-
@ Chris20cm Wishing you and yours a Good Day indeed; may you have sweet blessings sprinkled throughout.
1 -
Chris, Thank you for your uplifting post. It reminds me of the adage, “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.” As caregivers, we have to constantly remind ourselves to look for those good things. Wishing you a good day!
2 -
That's a great post, Chris. I would note, however, that we often do it at the expense of our health. My blood pressure was so high last year that I was experiencing kidney damage, and my blood pressure is normal with medication now that I am no longer wakened to care for someone several times per night.
As the psalm says, "This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
2 -
This reminded me of one of my fav J. Nettles songs… sometimes it helps:
But I don’t ask why me
I just say why not
Take all that I’ve been given
Turn it into livin for somebody else
Because I know that I am loved
And I’ll say that it’s enough
To try my best to learn to give love in return
To everyone we meet
Yea, I say life is sweet
2
Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
Read more
Categories
- All Categories
- 541 Living With Alzheimer's or Dementia
- 279 I Am Living With Alzheimer's or Other Dementia
- 262 I Am Living With Younger Onset Alzheimer's
- 16K Supporting Someone Living with Dementia
- 5.5K I Am a Caregiver (General Topics)
- 7.7K Caring For a Spouse or Partner
- 2.4K Caring for a Parent
- 207 Caring Long Distance
- 126 Supporting Those Who Have Lost Someone
- 16 Discusiones en Español
- 5 Vivir con Alzheimer u Otra Demencia
- 4 Vivo con Alzheimer u Otra Demencia
- 1 Vivo con Alzheimer de Inicio Más Joven
- 11 Prestación de Cuidado
- 2 Soy Cuidador (Temas Generales)
- 8 Cuidar de un Padre
- 22 ALZConnected Resources
- View Discussions For People Living with Dementia
- View Discussions for Caregivers
- Discusiones en Español
- Browse All Discussions
- Dementia Resources
- 6 Account Assistance
- 16 Help