Donna Shares holds nothing back as she shares her journey with readers about her life as a family caregiver. She began blogging after finding she needed an outlet to share her pent-up emotions with other caregivers; however, she had access to none. Starting a blog was her solution to feeling isolated and gave her an avenue to share what she knew with others in hopes that her experiences might help them not feel isolated. Since her history as a caregiver has expanded many years now, she has reprinted those past posts for new readers who might be interested in comparing past to present or learning from prior experiences. Blog Library has them all categorized by the type of topic covered. Some posts listed were from the time she wrote as a contributor for multiplesclerosis.net. Therefore, you will leave this website and go to theirs when you click on that link to read the full post. Happy reading!
My husband, Lynn, began taking Ocrevus, to treat his Primary Progress Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) in March. As his caregiver, one of my responsibilities is to become familiar with his medications and associated risks. While Ocrevus holds great promise for individuals who have PPMS, the impact of having continuous autoimmunity as a consideration in living his life is […]
Understanding Immunosuppression Read More »
The mysteries of MS always keep it interesting as I struggle to manage my husband’s medical care and assist him in maintaining an optimum quality of life with Primary Progressive MS (PPMS). Another challenge came my way last week that stumped even his medical team after a hospital admission ruled out all sorts of possible causes. The
New Mysteries All the Time Read More »
Communication is a tricky process. When I make a statement, not only am I projecting what I think I intend to say, but I am also creating in my mind an image of how I think you will receive my message. I tell myself a story about our conversation before we ever have it. That
I try to stay optimistic about the future, but occasionally an event occurs that reminds me of how tenuous life can be. One of those events happened recently with the passing of a fellow caregiver’s spouse. Similar health histories About eight years ago, I meet the caregiver while my husband, Lynn, was a patient in
End of Life Decisions Read More »
Prepare to become a caregiver. In 2015, research conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) found that 43.5 million adults in the United States (approximately 29% of the adult population) had provided unpaid care to either a child or adult during that year. With the growing need for in-home medical interventions and the
Prepare to Become a Caregiver Read More »
It seems ironic, but did you know that caring too much could actually harm you? There’s a fancy name for it called “compassion fatigue.” While compassion fatigue and burnout seem similar, they have significant differences. Continue reading at https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/compassion-fatigue/
Compassion Fatigue Read More »
As a caregiver, I want to help make my spouse’s life better. I want to help him find answers to his medical questions, assist him in doing the things he cannot do, and help him in whatever way I can. As his MS has progressed over the years, his need for my assistance has expanded to
Remember Whose Life You Are Living Read More »
Have you noticed how difficult it can be to have a sensitive conversation with another person without being misunderstood? Why is that? Difficult conversations Today our primary mode of communication seems to be through text messaging or tweets. We use short abbreviated bursts of information delivered remotely. Texts and tweets allow us to keep our distance
Help with Difficult Conversations Read More »
Unreliable attendance Living with MS means a lifetime of unpredictability. You may feel perfectly fine when you go to bed, but sometime during the night, a significant front moves through the neighborhood wreaking havoc on your body. Suddenly, getting out of bed to go to work would require the assistance of a powerhouse Olympic team, only
Understanding How FMLA Can Help Read More »
I often feel like I have multiple personalities, and knowing which one I should be using can be difficult. Sometimes I know who I want to be, but it’s not always the one I think I should be. There are even times I know who I am and who I should be, but I don’t want
