Caregiving.com

Stories, Support, Solutions
  1. ejourneys

    Theories

    by
    10
    | ejourneys' blog
    May 18, 2012
    My partner’s thinking pattern today is the main reason I use a handle here and keep her identity a secret. It’s why I talk or write openly about caregiving in some places but not in others. There is some overlap here and there, but for the most part my caregiving...
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  2. Chris M The Bow-Tie-Guy

    In These Shoes Part III

    by
    3
    | Blogs, Chris's Blog
    May 18, 2012
    The ‘new shoes are feeling just fine…so much so, the ‘Imelda Marcos’ of South Florida has decided to come out…rather…clean out his closet! Photo credit: ‘The Purple Jacket’ One thing the real Imelda never did; was something that made me proud of ‘The Little One’ Photo Credit: ‘The Purple Jacket’ When...
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  3. ejourneys

    Visibility

    by
    5
    | ejourneys' blog
    May 11, 2012
    I’ve been on another “flyer run” while doing my errands. Two of the assistants (one legal, one financial) to whom I gave Caregiving.com flyers said they’ll make and distribute copies. I told them they could also download a .pdf file from here. Both said they have clients who could benefit...
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  4. Chris M The Bow-Tie-Guy

    In These Shoes Part II

    by
    4
    | Chris's Blog
    May 9, 2012
    Today we picked up ‘The Little One’s’  new shoes. Unfortunately, the first choice of shoes ‘The Little One’ selected somehow was not available in a therapeutic model. These Stilettos would make Bette Midler proud as she would be singing “In These Shoes” once she laid eyes on these shoes! As we arrived in the...
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  5. ejourneys

    Quality of Life: A Conversation

    by
    9
    | ejourneys' blog
    May 5, 2012
    My partner’s follow-up MRI is the week after next. It will tell us whether her brain damage has increased. In preparation for whatever the news might be, I’ve been reviewing the literature on MS meds (Rebif and Copaxone). I watch the people on the DVD. I listen to them speak,...
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  6. Chris M The Bow-Tie-Guy

    In These Shoes

    by
    5
    | Chris's Blog
    May 4, 2012
    If you are a fan of Bette Midler, you are probably aware of one of her (many) popular songs. One in particular is a favorite of mine, “In These Shoes.” The lyrics are wonderful, funny and maybe a tad over the top for some. This favorite song of mine popped...
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  7. ejourneys

    Self-Care

    by
    4
    | ejourneys' blog
    May 1, 2012
    My partner’s bicycle has been on a bicycle stand in the kitchen since last May. She wants to change its rear tire to a non-nubbly one, because a non-nubbly tire wouldn’t make as much noise on the wind trainer. She figured she would train indoors. Then, at some point, she...
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  8. ejourneys

    Three Therapies

    by
    6
    | ejourneys' blog
    April 27, 2012
    My partner had her regular therapy session on Thursday, followed by some extraordinary “bird therapy” at the park. This time, her regular session was extraordinary, too. Therapy 1 First, we could report on some “emotion talk” that I saw as a milestone. A few nights earlier my partner had clarified...
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  9. Chris M The Bow-Tie-Guy

    Caregivers…”Never Alone”

    by
    9
    | Chris's Blog
    April 26, 2012
    One of the many things that I have missed while being away from Fort Lauderdale for the past four years has been the congregation at The Sunshine Cathedral. While attending worship services this past Sunday, the senior Pastor Reverend Durrell Watkins, preached on a topic that really hit home for me: his sermon was entitled, “Never Alone.” “What I...
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  10. ejourneys

    Nothing Is Wasted

    by
    4
    | ejourneys' blog
    April 21, 2012
    My Caregiving.com reusable shopping bags arrived yesterday. Bette, you did a fabulous job with these (thank you!). One bag is now home to my partner’s medical records: I’d been carrying her records in the BookTV bag shown in the photo and was pleasantly surprised at how well all the paperwork...
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  11. Chris M The Bow-Tie-Guy

    It’s More than a Tree

    by
    11
    | Chris's Blog
    April 19, 2012
    Never one to be a horticulturist, I am always intrigued by the variety of beautiful trees we have in this diverse country of ours. Now that we are back in Florida, I am reminded about the beautiful foliage that Florida has to offer, especially the Palm Trees. You really don’t get to see...
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  12. Chris M The Bow-Tie-Guy

    Two Relationships in One

    by
    5
    | Chris's Blog
    April 17, 2012
    Recently I was asked to write an article on LGBT Caregiving for American Society on Aging. While the published date for article has not been determined, I was given permission to post my article on here and on my personal blog, The Purple Jacket, today. This article has been a work in progress and...
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  13. ejourneys

    Wear Patterns

    by
    5
    | ejourneys' blog
    April 13, 2012
    Earlier this week, my partner asked me, “Did you notice Dr. N’s scuffed shoes?” Or worn shoes. I forget exactly how she put it. I hadn’t paid all that much attention to his shoes when we met with him the one time in December. I had paid more attention to...
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  14. Chris M The Bow-Tie-Guy

    The Heart of Caregiving

    by
    4
    | Chris's Blog
    April 12, 2012
    Cancer came upon us in one full swoop. Often times, we get into situations that are beyond our control…’things’ just happen, like cancer. Family caregivers are often thrown into their roles on a moment’s notice. Cancer or other debilitating illnesses do not arrive by invitation, they just show up at...
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  16. Chris M The Bow-Tie-Guy

    The Three Emotions

    by
    12
    | Chris's Blog
    April 9, 2012
    (Editor’s Note: We welcome a new blogger today; Chris cares for his partner, Richard. He also blogs on his personal site, www.thepurplejacket.com. You can learn more about Chris by reading his profile here.) Caregiving is an emotional experience. Caregivers often find themselves in roles that they do not choose, yet...
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  17. ejourneys

    Choosing a New Metric

    by
    8
    | ejourneys' blog
    April 6, 2012
    I was going to reply to comments for my last entry in another comment, but I realized I needed to write a fresh post. This is my personal, somewhat rambling take on things, so I’m interested in hearing what others think. Trish wondered “what it is about caregiving that makes...
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  18. ejourneys

    Making It Real

    by
    6
    | ejourneys' blog
    April 3, 2012
    “One of the biggest obstacles in caregiving is recognizing that you ARE caregiving!” That’s the first line in the caregiver page at SAGE. It’s also the story of my life from about 1998 (my partner was still working, and would until 2001, but I could see she was having difficulties)...
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  19. ejourneys

    Embracing the Cabin

    by
    4
    | ejourneys' blog
    April 1, 2012
    Yesterday I participated in the last author event on my schedule, with nothing further planned. I announced to program participants and my fellow panelists that I am backing away to re-balance my energies, at least for now. I had begun to cut back on my events and volunteer activities after...
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  20. ejourneys

    Time Clock/Photography Therapy

    by
    4
    | ejourneys' blog
    March 24, 2012
    Before I started writing this, my partner told me she would try to get some sleep, and I pressed my “Print Screen” key. This is part of a new technique we’re trying out, and so far it’s working pretty well. She has no set sleep schedule. Her sleep disturbances go...
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  21. ejourneys

    Living Outside the Box

    by
    7
    | ejourneys' blog
    March 23, 2012
    During the last #carechat, Trish tweeted, “It’s that self-chatter the ‘shoulds’ that cause us issues.” That made me nod at my computer like a bobble-head doll. The past few years especially — once my partner and I started asking for help in earnest — have done a lot toward making...
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  22. ejourneys

    The Emotional Subway Straddle

    by
    3
    | ejourneys' blog
    March 17, 2012
    My partner’s been experiencing an emotional roller coaster. It’s meant a lot of unexpected shifts — and I’ve been trying to do my emotional equivalent of what I call the Subway Straddle. I grew up on the NYC subway. I was very proud of the way I could stand without...
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