Shares about coping with negative emotions facing caregivers.
I’ve never been comfortable with strong expressions of anger. I’m the sort of person that prefers to compromise and resolve things peacefully so one of the more difficult challenges I have faced is how to handle Lynn’s frustrations expressed through anger. Today as I was working at my desk, I heard over the baby monitor I […]
All He Can Do Is Yell Read More »
Looking outside, I see some new orange and yellow colors where last week I saw green. There is a sporadic fluttering of leaves cascading in front of the window on their way to cover my yard. The air is crisp causing me to need to turn on the heat this morning so Lynn would not
I realized something this week. Somewhere in my subconscious, I seem to be waiting for all “this” to go away…to wake up one day and “everything” be back to normal. How odd is that? Lynn was diagnosed with MS in 2006. We were married in 1997. I knew well before his diagnosis that he had
When Is This Going to go Away? Read More »
One of the ways we cope with Lynn’s condition is to deal with what we have “today” and not look too far ahead. That’s especially true for Lynn; not as much for me. My personal make-up requires that I have a sense of control about my life so I ALWAYS look ahead and plan for
Fear of What Tomorrow May Bring Read More »
That question was posed to me yesterday during a get-together with several other caregivers. My first thought when I pondered that question was, “what don’t I feel guilty about?” I realized in listening to the others share, that I don’t give myself enough credit for doing the best I can. For example… I feel guilty
What Do You Feel Guilty About? Read More »
I had a serious disappointment tonight when I got home from work. Not about Lynn but something work-related. Once a week I go to the job site where I touch base with my staff and take care of a few meetings that I feel need to be done with “face time” rather than over the
Adjusting to Disappointment Read More »
I have become a “glass half empty” type of person. I’m not sure exactly when that occurred but it’s definitely true. Whenever something comes up as a possibility, I think about the risks associated with it and start preparing myself to deal with those possible traumas and disappointments. It drives Lynn crazy. Lynn is very
Which Half of the Glass Am I Today? Read More »
I am feeling so frustrated tonight because my good sense tells me not to do something I really want to do but my heart is longing to do it. Here’s my dilemma. I want to be a caregiver to two different people (actually three) and it’s tearing me up that I can’t. My grandson is very
I got a text message early this morning from my son saying that his fiance’s mother, Leslie, was beginning to transition toward her death. I hadn’t heard dying referred to in that way before but it made a lot of sense as I thought about it. There are specific changes that occur as our bodies begin
One of the rarest privileges I have as a caregiver is quiet time. When I’m awake, I am always listening for his,”Hey, Sweetie,” call that says I’m needed. During my work day if I’m not taking care of his needs in some way, I’m working. From the moment I get up…no actually, twenty-four hours a day,
