I previously published an article (June 26, 2014) entitled, “A Short Trip Back Home.” In that post I talked about the fact that going away for a weekend took just about the same amount of preparation and packing of equipment as going away for a week. Now, I want to talk about “lessons learned” from […]
Lessons Learned From a Short Trip Read More »
After years of caregiving, I believe I know Lynn’s body and his emotional and physical needs as well or better than my own. Actually, I probably know it better because I don’t pay attention to my own. By becoming that familiar with him, I’ve been able to take quick action to prevent minor problems from
Can You Scratch My Leg? Read More »
When Lynn and I were dating, I knew that his father had only lived to be in his forties and that he died from complications of MS. Having a medical background, I had a vague, general knowledge of the condition but primarily just enough knowledge to know that it affected mobility and the eyes and
One of Lynn’s regular responses, when someone asks how he is doing, is, “I’ve been worse.” It conveys to the person asking that he’s not feeling great but that he’s grateful he’s not feeling worse. It also allows him to avoid discussing how he really is and it shows a positive attitude, which is something that
The light was flashing on my answering machine when I came home from work to meet my “one day a week onsite” obligation. Lynn has difficulty answering the phone before it automatically rolls to voicemail, so we don’t even try to have him do it when I’m away. I checked the message, and excitement spread
When Reality and Dreams Don’t Mix, No One Wins Read More »
Whether it’s right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy, most of us tend to “take in” the view others have of us. I think that’s especially true of caregivers. Once you become a full-time, all consumed caregiver you tend to lose part of yourself through absorbing the emotions and needs of the person for whom you
When you run into someone when you’re out in public, what seems to be the first thing out of their mouth after saying your name? For me, it’s, “How’s Lynn?” and then it’s, “and how are you doing?” It’s never easy to know how to answer that question. I believe that most people don’t really
So, How Are You….Really? Read More »
My paid job, that supports Lynn and me, is as a Human Resources Director of Employee Relations. As part of that role, I am responsible for keeping up with employment law. One of the laws often misunderstood by employees is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). While from the employer’s perspective this law is a
How FMLA Supports Caregiving Read More »
The type of employment you have when you become an adult makes all the difference in how you live your life. It dictates when you’re asleep or awake, what you wear, what you’ll be exposed to, the type of people you will encounter, and your standard of living (unless you are independently wealthy or someone
Caregiving and Work Read More »
For the most part, Lynn and I are homebodies. He just doesn’t handle traveling very well so we rarely leave home. His already ever-present exhaustion is made significantly greater when he travels and it usually takes a full day to recover afterward; therefore, we rarely do any short trips since he spends the time at
A Short Trip Back Home Read More »
