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!
It’s funny how words or pictures will bring back such vivid memories. The Cultural Arts Department at work sponsored a poetry/prose writing contest recently with the theme, “Rhythm.” I don’t usually enter such contests but when I thought about the theme, it brought back memories of standing next to Lynn’s bed while he was in […]
Watching, Waiting, Being Strong Read More »
Introduction: I wrote the following story about a time in my life when I was waiting at Lynn’s bedside to find out if he was getting better or worse. I submitted this story to a writing contest at work and won second place. However, I wanted to share it with you because I think many
Standing Beside His Bed Read More »
Lynn loves children. He gets such a kick out of watching them play and run around. Some of his favorite commercials are those that have little children running around getting into things and acting adorable. When my daughter (his step-daughter) announced she was pregnant, he was happy for her and her husband, but didn’t melt
Connecting with Grandchildren Read More »
Are you prepared to spring into action for an emergency? Just because you are a full-time caregiver, doesn’t mean the world stops sending you other challenges so you can focus on the one needing your care. Most of us have other family members—children, parents, siblings, even close friends or others who are near and dear
Spring Into Action Read More »
My daughter writes each day about something she is thankful for that day. I was so touched by the following post she had on Facebook last night, that I just have to share it with you. By Sarah Johnson Today I’m thankful to God that Jesus didn’t quit. Imagine. You’re in
I’m Thankful to God That Jesus Didn’t Quit Read More »
Life at our house over the past month has been rather challenging. My Mom was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer and lives about two-hundred miles away; so we have moved her and my Dad in with us while she goes through chemotherapy. Lynn’s Mom has myasthenia gravis and suffers from extreme weakness all the time.
Frustrations of Dealing with Limitations Read More »
Lynn and I had to make a very difficult decision this week– whether to cancel our summer vacation or to go as planned. Now, on the surface that might not sound like such a big deal, but it was. Since the children were small, we have been going to the beach in North Carolina for
Letting Go of Unrealistic Plans Read More »
As a caregiver, I understand that my role involves providing a lot of physical care. For any caregiver, how much care is provided depends a lot on how significant are the limitations of the one for whom you’re caring. For me, the physical demands are many because Lynn’s physical limitations are many. But,
The Many Faces of Care Read More »
I have not always been a full-time caregiver. As I look back over Lynn’s journey through the maze of MS progression, I have had different roles along the way. On the Outside Looking In Role For several years before he was diagnosed with MS, I watched his symptoms develop from afar. He would mention an occasional
Stages of Caregiving Read More »
Each of us filters information through our previous life experiences. Through those filters, we evaluate comments made and inferences perceived and eventually make conclusions based on those filters. We also tell ourselves stories about what we see and hear based on those filters and it’s through those stories that our emotions are generated. That being said,
Caregiving From a Different Perspective Read More »
