Rattled

Yesterday I had to leave for church early and Greg was going to bring my mother and the kids over later on.  When he went to walk my mother (with her walker) to the car, she couldn’t make it.  She started feeling dizzy and weak.  He pushed  her on the walker  back into the house and she sat down in her chair, feeling a bit better once she got  inside. When I got back from church, she was in bed...

Calling on Family of Caregivers!

I am calling upon the caregiving family for help with a new blog I am working on.   It will be another Soap Box sound off.  I am writing about  how some of us caregivers use humorous statements to address certain situations that are going on in our caregiving day.  These statements are often not funny to the non-caregiver, or maybe even  another caregiver.  They are ways to vent.  So, I am looking for...

Movie Monday: What Are You Watching?

Last night, I watched “Garden State” with Zach Braff and Natalie Portman. The movie tells the story of a young man dealing with a tragedy earlier in his life during a visit home for his mother’s funeral. It’s quirky, a bit rough but also quite magical. The movie shows us that beauty and devastation reside side-by-side. We take both because both make our lives. The movie contains some rough...

Pace

During a crash in a car race, a pace car appears, keeping racers safe by keeping them at the same, slower, speed. At certain times in life, we all need a pace car, a reminder to take it slow. We may need to take it slow during life’s lows in order to avoid snap decisions or rushed judgments or harsh words. We may need to take it slow during life’s highs in order to create memories and express...

An Announcement!

Denise, Donna, Sharon, Bette and Skye…please refer to this blog entry for a surprise! http://bearhugwaltz.blogspot.com/2010/05/oh-my-blog-award.html

Adjusting to New “Normals”

I think we may have taken another step backward in our progression in my husband’s disease. Although it was a struggle, Wayne, my husband, up until recently has made his transfers from the wheelchair to the toilet and from the wheelchair to bed successfully by himself. We seem to now be transitioning into him needing my assistance in getting into bed at night. I have laid out his clothes for him for a long...

“Bitter or Better”

My husband, Greg, had a teacher that would use this phrase frequently.  What a difference one letter can make!  Yesterday we had our end of school year picnic at Hershey Park. This past week was somewhat challenging with my mother, so I wasn’t sure how our time away would go.  The challenge began last Saturday with me having opportunity to go out to dinner with a friend, and my mother being very angry...

Giving 100%

Our next episode of Your Caregiving Journey is scheduled for next Thursday. But, I decided this morning to add a Table Talk to leave you with over the holiday weekend. I wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you. And, wishing you the very best. Related Articles Untrapping (caregiving.com) Spring Me! (Your Caregiving...

Summertime is Calling

Summertime is calling….but not to me. Barbecues are being enjoyed all around me to see. Soaking up sunshine at beaches Warm breezes caressing as they picnic at parks Parades of the present, reminding of parades past Brief glimpses of fireworks from the back door No point in wanting to see more… Festivals, I don’t like crowds, and I don’t like noise.. but I remember a...

Friday Fun: Give Us the Guffaws

It’s Friday, so let’s share some funnies. What’s a humorous experience that’s happened to you in your caregiving role? It could be something that happened years ago or just yesterday, as long as today it makes you giggle. We’ll giggle with you. Please share in our comments section. And, we’ll give away a We Break from Me! journal from our We Break for Me store plus an autographed copy of Denise’s...

Tell Us: What’s Cooking?

Every week, in Tell Us, we talk about what you typically can’t talk about with just anyone. This week, we’re going to give the difficult emotions a break and talk about what we always seem to talk about: What’s for dinner. So, today, tell us: What’s for dinner tonight?

Serendipity

I recently heard someone use this word and I had forgotten how much I liked it! Since caring for my mother, I have had many parts of my personality and “dreams” challenged, not all brought about through caregiving, however.  I thought I would be teaching in RI, thought I would not have had to share bringing up three children with anyone but Greg (that sounds really selfish). I also thought I would...

When… Did You Know Your Caree Could No Longer Live Alone?

Maybe it was a simple decision: A series injury or medical condition occurred and eliminated the option of living alone. Or maybe it was an agonizing, frustrating decision: You knew, but your caree wouldn’t budge. The tug-of-war over living arrangements almost did you both in. Today, as part of our When… series, we’d love to know: When did you know your caree could no longer live alone? Please...

My Sherberty Display to Help Me Feel Better and Move Ahead

Looks yummy doesn’t it, all bright and summery!  A pick me up I put together, I think on Sunday…days have been rather blended! I am going to attempt to backwards journal some of what has transpired the last few weeks, starting with today! I had my first visit with the chiropractor this morning.  My neck has been pinching nerves for several weeks, causing much discomfort in my left shoulder and arm. ...

Breaking Free from Chronic Worry

Today, on Your Caregiving Journey, we had our book club discussion. This month, we read “Worried Sick, Break Free from Chronic Worry to Achieve Mental and Physical Health” by Karol Ward. Karol joined us for our discussion, which you can listen to via the player at the bottom of the post. (You’ll remember Karol from last year’s special three-part series on shame.) Because I hope you will...

This Week’s Poll: What’s Your Greatest Caregiving Need?

This week’s poll, sponsored by Caregiving.com and eCareDiary.com, asks “What’s your greatest caregiving need?” Please cast your vote below and share any additional thoughts in our comments section. Thanks for voting! What Are Your Greatest Caregiving Needs?Market...

Updated Discharge Planning Guide Available

Medicare recently revised its free guide, “Your Discharge Planning Checklist”; you can download the updated booklet here. The checklist helps patients and family caregivers manage a discharge from a hospital, nursing home or other long-term care setting. Look for print versions in June which you can order from the Medicare website and for a Spanish version in the near future. Related Articles Videos Offer...

Free Webinar: Respite in the Faith Community

“Respite in the Faith Community,” a free webinar sponsored by ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center, will take place Thursday, June 3, from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EDT. You can register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/164553040 Webinar Details The shortage of respite providers continues to be a significant barrier to respite access in many ommunities. At the same time, government...

Breeze

Wouldn’t it be nice if Life, and its sisters and brothers, were a breeze? Imagine that finding the right job, the best spouse, the timely caregiving decision is as gentle of an experience as a summer breeze. If only. Maybe Life, and its Twists and Turns, can be like a breeze. Perhaps we become the tornado that kicks the breeze into a driving wind. What if our belief in ourselves and our abilities calmed the...

Movie Monday: What Are You Watching?

This past week, I watched “The Hurt Locker” and “Rocket Science.” “The Hurt Locker” was incredibly intense, so much so that, the day after watching the movie, I saw a headline about a bombing in Kabul and thought: I know exactly where that is. Of course, I didn’t and, of course, the movie is set in Baghdad, but you just feel like you’re there, wherever there’s...

If… You Could Change One Thing, What Would It Be?

On Sundays, we wave the magic wand and ask, If… Today, we ask: If you could change anything about your caregiving experience what would it be? Perhaps you’d like to change how you feel about caregiving. Or, you’d like to change your caree’s willingness to accept help. Or, you’d like to change a family members denial about the situation’s reality. Maybe you’d change your...

How… Will You Be Happy Today?

In caregiving, it can seem so much like someone else, it can seem impossible to make it about you. Except today (and every Saturday to come). On Saturdays, we’re talking about how you’ll take a moment to be happy: How you’ll take a moment to feel grateful, to receive love, to laugh at a funny joke, to enjoy a decadent treat, to let yourself off the hook, to treasure a special moment with a loved...