Many of us here have asked caregivers who are not proactive about finding alternative care for the ones they’re caring for what would happen if they “went down”.
Well, this weekend I’ve had the flu and all it’s fun symptoms, PLUS a raging toothache. But, in the midst of my misery, I’ve still had to care for hubby. Laundry needed to be done, dishes needed to be washed, meals had to be made. My husband had to be gotten up out of bed, dressed, undressed and back in, bed cleaned and changed and now he’s telling me he needs to poo which will be another bed change. Yesterday, he yelled at me for sneezing. Then, even though I was light-headed with fever and chills, he said he wanted pizza and wings. (Nope)
So far, I handled it. I’ve also handled it after hip replacement surgery, gall bladder surgery and the death of my mother. So, do you think maybe we caregivers need to give ourselves more credit for our strength?
I hate to be Debby Downer, but it sounds like DH has regressed since coming home from rehab?
I know there will come a time when I can no longer care for him and so does he. There is no way he’d ever be able to live alone in this house. My kids wouldn’t be able to care for him, at least not in the style to which he is accustomed. I would never, ever expect them to take him into their homes.
We have been living one day at a time for a while now. I know where he will go when the time comes—where my mom was. Our wills and POAs are in order. We have no assets so there’s no issue with that. The biggest job of disposing of our household and house will fall to our son. I’m not ignoring the inevitable, really. But at this point, I just can’t let it overtake every second of every day.
Thanks friend. I know you say this to me because you care.
You are Superwoman, that's for sure!
Please tend to that tooth, and rest and recover as much as you can.
I would be locked away in a mental institution somewhere. I would commit myself if someone else wouldn’t beat me to it. I just know I would go over the edge.
I hope you feel better very soon and you get a break. I suppose getting a break would be a miracle, huh?
And GET SOME HELP IN! Isn't there anyone you call on, just for a day or two? Any help would be better than no help - they can stick on a wash load and bring pizza, surely.
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