There have been several times in my life when I have felt completely overwhelmed, and I wanted to shut down and run away. The first was in college toward the end of each semester. There were so many BIG assignments due and tests to prepare for, and there were just as many little details thatContinue reading “BIG Things and LITTLE Things”
Category Archives: guilt
Do Caregivers get Sick?
My goal has always been to support and encourage those who care for a loved one with a chronic or degenerative disease. Today is no different. There is hope, my friend, so please don’t give up! For the last 3 days, I have had a raging sore throat, a headache, and body aches. I thinkContinue reading “Do Caregivers get Sick?”
End of Birthday Month: LET IT GO!
At the end of 3 wonderful years of blogging, I am so thankful for the art of writing. It helped me get through the most difficult of times. Some of you have asked what else I wrote. I kept a journal in which I wrote every time Carlton developed a new symptom. The main goalContinue reading “End of Birthday Month: LET IT GO!”
No Regrets
My goal is to encourage and support those who care for someone with a chronic or degenerative disease. That sounds easy, but when you’re there in the trenches, cleaning up messes or explaining things for the third time, or changing a catheter bag, or trying to figure out how to insert an epi-pin, life canContinue reading “No Regrets”
The Pressure of Decisions
My only goal is to encourage and support caregivers, especially those who care for loved ones with chronic or degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s Disease. My credentials are that this was my life for 23 years. I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on television. And I would not presume to diagnose anyone’sContinue reading “The Pressure of Decisions”
Not a Professional
I don’t get paid to be a caregiver. I have no special training to do this. So I really cannot claim to be a professional caregiver. Saying that makes me feel better, especially in situations when I really don’t know what to do. But I know my husband of 48 years better than anyone onContinue reading “Not a Professional”
Anticipatory Grief – Part 2
In last week’s blog, “Anticipatory Grief”, we barely scratched the surface of the topic. And it is possible we came away with more questions than answers. (That post can be found below this one and was inspired by reading this article.) For me, this is a confusing time of my life. My husband of 48Continue reading “Anticipatory Grief – Part 2”
“ALL IN”
“Commitment” may seem like an archaic word that is not used much anymore, but it is essential for a caregiver. If we are not “ALL IN”, it is easy to bail when things become difficult. And if our loved one has a chronic illness or degenerative condition, it is no secret that life will becomeContinue reading ““ALL IN””
Caregiver Guilt
While caring for my husband who has Parkinson’s Disease, I am constantly faced with the realization that I am not perfect. There are many times I feel like I’m just not cut out for this job because I cannot get everything right. That leads to feelings of guilt. Caregiver guilt. We know we have CaregiverContinue reading “Caregiver Guilt”
Care for Parkinson's 