Every time Lynn starts acting differently for several days in a row, I wonder if it means there’s some new problem we have to face. MS can affect so many different body parts and functions that I never know if a new problem is MS or something else. For instance, Lynn has been sleeping a […]
Something New to Deal With Read More »
I admit my life is very busy and very difficult. I also admit I manage it pretty well, but just because I have to do some pretty difficult tasks day after day, and I keep doing them, doesn’t make me an angel. I realize that most people who are not full-time caregivers are amazed at
I always have guilt feelings when I write about any negative emotions I feel in being a caregiver, but the fact is, I have them, and I expect most other caregivers to have them as well. It doesn’t mean we don’t love the person we care for, but it means that providing care is not
Feeling Alone or Maybe Just Left Out Read More »
There are many responsibilities and consequences of being a caregiver that I don’t like, things I would prefer not to do or that are difficult to manage, but the biggest challenge I have is lack of sleep. I think that if I had time to sleep more, my life would be a lot different. Typically,
Lack of Sleep. The Root of All Evil? Read More »
Often, when I meet someone who has just become a caregiver, they ask me how I do it; “How do you handle the daily stress of working and caregiving full time while still managing a home?” I always reply, “I try to take it one day at a time and just deal with what’s happening
Confessions of a Stressed-Out Caregiver Read More »
I’m sure you have heard others reference the saying, “Turn lemons into lemonade.” It implies taking something bad and turning it into something good. Our pastor challenged us to think along those lines but with a different twist. When something has you down, or something bad/inconvenient happens, try thinking about why that’s a good
Blessings from Pain Read More »
Someone recently asked me if I had ever written about how we adapted to Lynn’s loss of function in his hands. I haven’t, but it’s a topic that might be helpful to some, so here goes. Lynn’s loss of the use of his hands gradually progressed over time, I’m guessing maybe 3-4 years, with the
In the past month, I have been taken to the emergency room twice with severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Each time, they ruled out appendicitis (thank goodness), but obviously, something was wrong. At this point, they believe I have two locations in my intestines that are infected, which is causing the pain, so I’ve been
I Just Keep Going and Going and Going Read More »
About this time last week, I was experiencing discomfort in my abdomen. As the hours progressed, the pain got worse until, eventually, it was so intense that I was vomiting. Unable to sit up, I was lying on the floor moaning in pain with no access to help within reach. Fortunately, Lynn heard my moaning
What Resources are Available if I’m Not Around Anymore? Read More »
With Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS), Lynn would have an exacerbation that could last days or weeks, but he would return to “normal” at some point, and nothing much changed. With Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS), he stopped getting better. He happened to be in a clinical trial at the time he transitioned to SPMS so he was
Helpful Resources for Supplies, Equipment or Information Read More »
I talked to a fellow caregiver this week about an event that occurred to him, and he commented, “Yeah, I’m just waiting for the next shoe to drop.” That comment struck home. I confess that I’m like that most of the time. Lynn, my husband and the person I provide care to accuses me of
Waiting for the Next Shoe to Drop Read More »
It’s been the talk for days. “Have you heard? We might get a foot of snow.” The prediction was for it to start before sunrise on Friday, then changed to 10 a.m., and then to 1 p.m. Two days before the snow was predicted, lines at the grocery store were wrapped around and down aisles.
