Hospital Stay Reflections
Having Jim in hospital has been a learning experience. Some positive, some negative. Positives: The nurses and aids are absolutely fantastic. Sure, sometimes they’re abrupt but if you listen to what they’re dealing with, on a daily, hourly, and minute-ly basis you’ll understand. Some patients treat them like indentured servants and/or punching bags (both …. Read More
Best Laid Plans
I thought I had it all worked out. I was a woman with a plan of action. Jim’s foot infection made me realize I had a gap in his care plan so I bought a wheelchair and a lift recliner. The recliner arrived at 10am and was installed by 10:30. Jim sat in until I …. Read More
Review And Reflect
I took time last night and read this blog from start to finish. HO-LY CRAP! This has been an adventure. The worst kind of one, but still an adventure. I have to give myself, and all other caregivers, more credit. In hindsight, I was doing so much better than I thought I was. I’d …. Read More
Welcome to 2023
Happy New Year! May you have joy and peace this year. It’s been a rough few months. I have barely been writing. Hell I haven’t been reading as much as I used to either. However, there has been a lot of me staring blankly into space, contemplating life and how to handle the coming …. Read More
Overwhelmed
I’m sure most of you can relate to being overwhelmed at some point, right now it’s never ending. It feels silly to be this way because on the surface, we don’t do anything. Our schedule is set. Wake up, relax, have lunch, relax or maybe run an errand, have supper, watch TV and then …. Read More
Feeling Trapped
If I sit beside Jim while he’s napping, he’s content. If I move to a different part of the house, he comes searching. It’s like he has a proximity beacon that alerts him when I’m more than five feet away, making it impossible for me to have a few minutes to myself for a …. Read More
Temporary Lucidity Then A Decline
On Tuesday, Jim was more lucid than normal. He remembered the homecare worker had been in several times and thought to ask me how much she cost. I was happy and hopeful that the decline caused by the stress of moving had righted itself now that life had settled down again. Yeah, not so …. Read More
Don’t Judge Me
I wasn’t going to write about this incident because it made me feel judged and pretty crappy. Then I realized, I’m not alone, and most caregivers are made to feel like that aren’t doing enough from casual onlookers who don’t understand what it’s like. It was my aunt’s birthday and it was the first …. Read More
Adapting
I realized this morning just how long it’s been since I’ve updated. Lots has happened. Jim has settled in to his new surroundings. He mostly understands we live here now, even though he still asks if there is a bathroom in this place. Luckily, his muscle memory takes over at night and he has …. Read More
Feeling Neglected Despite Unwavering Attention
Here is a contradiction that anyone looking after a spouse with dementia probably understands. That feeling of neglect, despite your spouses constant attention. Jim is clingy. He comes searching for me every time I’ve been out of the room for a few minutes. He did this even at our old house, before he knew …. Read More