Letting Go: Part 3 – When it’s time for hospice
My husband’s black vomit from four months ago was back over the weekend. My daughter crystallized our next steps. “Follow Dad’s care plan.”
Caregiving
Stories that provide some perspective on the challenges of caregiving or that offer tips on how to ensure the ongoing mental and physical health of family members caring for their loved ones.
Letting Go: Part 2 – It’s time for palliative care
Our most recent visit to the clinic would turn out to be our last. Robert’s care needs haven’t changed, but transporting him to the clinic is challenging…
Letting Go: Part 1 – Black vomit
Overnight Robert threw up black vomit at 3am and 5am. Black vomit equals blood. I felt my stomach drop and willed myself to deal with what was in front of…
When I decided I had to retire
When I saw “I decided” to retire that might be imbuing my choice with too much rationale. The upheaval of the past few years had caught up with me…
A funny from dementia’s front lines
Many of my stories have been sad, because dementia is sad. But occasionally, funny things happen that elevate my experience to comic levels and bring a smile…
Moving out of our family home: Part 3
I parked, unbuckled Robert’s seat belt, and ever so gently, I turned his body and pulled his legs out of the car readying to lift him to his feet and…
Could I move my husband to memory care?
My sister, Elizabeth, arrived on the shuttle bus from San Francisco Airport (SFO) in early February. Her trip from Wisconsin had been planned as a holiday…
The stunning cost of memory care
I looked across the slick expanse of the long, polished conference table. I was waiting for the executive director of the Daylight Assisted Living and Memory…
What is my obligation to my husband?
Was I obligated to give up my life for Robert’s? This was the question I asked in my last story. This was the moral dilemna at the center of my ruminations…
What if you are not caregiver material?
In the early days of caring for Robert full-time, my days unfurled in yawning monotony. Dreary, relentless, and unchanging, repetitive tasks crowded my…