Life is getting harder...

life is getting harder here as well. DH is about to lose his drivers license which means he will have to retire. He is 62 so it’s time. He is angry about the change and his child like response is stressing me out. I constantly feel exhausted and worn out. He is extremely difficult to feed. He asks me every time he wants to eat something if I have anything he can eat. Yes but the real question is what will he eat? I can count on frozen cheese pizza or frozen burritos. He still has his mobility, when he talks you wouldn’t know how bad he is. It’s hard and I know we are early in the process

I get it, For some time now I have come to the understanding that it will be the last time we do "that" together. Process honey from our bees, cleaning out the gutters, putting up a Christmas tree, and anything after 3pm on any given day. It all has just become too hard what used to be the normal activities are now filled with confusion, aphasia, and balance issues. Hang in there Retired Teacher.

Oh yes life gets harder with this disease for sure! First it was trying to keep DH from fixing things or doing things around the house because he made things so much worse to doing everything myself or finding qualified repair folks. Now he is totally disabled, barely walks, incontinent and doesn't speak and sometimes combative.

Instant cart, curbside pickup, Costco delivery, cleaning service, VA and Hospices all help tremendously. It did take me awhile to admit I needed help but I am slowly getting there. I am also doing more self care when I can.

I feel your frustration and sending you a big hug. Glad you came here to vent. It helps.

When my dear wife became unable to venture outside the home to grocery shop or most other things, I used delivery and/or pick-up and then it became even more difficult to even take her along. It was then that I hired caregivers to sit with her for a few hours. It started out as just a couple days a week to give me a break to go to the grocery, doctor, or just sit quietly. As her condition progressed it was necessary to increase the caregiver support. I was lucky to find extraordinary people who lived nearby to assist. It only gets harder as the loved one's condition evolves. Now being on the other side I will tell you that as much as being her primary caregiver made me think nothing could be worse, the other side is far worse but in a much different way. Hopefully you can find some local, nearby help who can start slowly to give you a break. You have to become infinitely creative and adaptable to serve as the caregiver for this nightmare disease. But, as bad as it seems and gets, please find time to savor every moment when he smiles, touches your hand, acknowledges you, thanks you, etc. for all too soon, that is all any of us will have left. The best of luck to you and all the others here who are truly amazing loved ones who are sacrificing themselves for a loved one.

I have the same issue with finding meals my husband will eat. His neurologist recommended a Mediterranean diet… great but my husband only wants th frozen Costco tamales, Asian veggie spring rolls, and sweets. Lots of pastries, muffins, etc. To avoid confrontations I buy what he wants. He’s late stage 4 but showing some signs of entering 5. Executive function has really declined but he can talk up a storm and fool most people. I feel bad venting because so many have it so much worse.

This is my first time here and your post sounds so much like what I'm going through at this moment in life. He was just diagnosed 3 months ago. He's struggling so much with this as an I. I just retired last year and we were planning traveling and buying a new house and having his mom come and live with us. Our whole life is turned upside-down. We always were going places , doing things and had so much fun together. He still drives but is starting to make me a little nervous he rarely likes to go anywhere unless I'm with him and says he is fine with me going somewhere but I can tell he rather me not. My son , his stepson lives with us and they are very close and if he is home he's ok but if we are both gone he tells me he was horribly anxious. I am very understanding and reassure him that it's ok and we are in this together. He is still very functioning and him self at times. Then like today he can't relax and is pacing and very short when I ask him something or try to help. It's just a lot and I really need a place like this to talk to others dealing with the same things

Thank goodness we have this platform where we can have a shared experience… I know I say it often, but I am so very grateful for all of you, for the wisdom you share, for the care you give, for the trails you are blazing, and for the laughter and commiseration I cannot find elsewhere.

THANK YOU!!! ❤️

Oh yes life is getting harder here too. 12 months ago we were walking around the marina taking an interest looking at the yachts now walking is almost finished, slowness has stepped in, a lack of interest in the yachts in fact a lack of interest in everything Christmas, our children and grandchildren, food, life, worldly events. The couch and TV have become his buddies, aphasia has stopped all understandable conversations with me filling in the words and nodding appropriately, my DH can no longer feed himself easily and needs help with dressing, showering and shaving and needs to be kept amused. I am constantly challenged with finding ways to do things and ways to keep me amused and engaged with society. It’s exhausting hard and sad work. I have groceries delivered weekly and have perfected the art of not running out of essentials including bread and milk. What an achievement!!