Travel And Healing
The last of my work is done. Sure I have to do Jim’s final taxes, but the things I had to do for him, personally, are done. Jim has returned to the West Coast and his ashes will hang out with his daughter until his funeral later this year. Now all that’s left is …. Read More
Hard Decision Time
It’s been a rough month. Jim has been doing so well that I thought I could continue to care for him in our home until the end. Hes non-aggressive and can still follow simple instructions. I am able bodied, well read, have almost every tool and gadget out there to help, and had just …. Read More
Hello Again, It’s Been A While.
I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, but recently I joined two online dementia caregiver groups via Facebook. It’s been beneficial. Not only am I learning from people slightly ahead of me in the process, I can share what I’ve learned to those coming behind me. It’s validating at a time …. 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
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
The Final Countdown
Moving isn’t for the faint of heart. Selling your home is an exercise in insanity. Doing it with someone with dementia is most likely the most heartbreaking thing you’ll ever do. I thought I was prepared. Not Even Close Jim and I talked about moving before I bought our new home back in November. …. Read More
Neck Stretches
We’ll pop this one under the category of self-care. It’s been a rough few weeks. Every step forward is met with two or three half-steps back. At least it feels that way. Everything about my house renovations and subsequent move back East seems to be stalled. The at-home career I was building is stalled …. Read More
Caregiver Mental Health
This one is about me. I’ve been soldiering on, smiling and caring, feeling like a fraud whenever I receive encouragement and praise because, really what else am I supposed to do. I’m not going to leave Jim because his health is declining. Overall, I feel like I’m handling everything so well, I don’t deserve …. Read More