My Blogs

Journals and Blogs

Use this Journal (also called a Blog) to share your ongoing caregiving stories and updates with others. Your online journal or blog will help readers benefit from your experiences and life lessons. Tell us about your challenges, your insights, the tears, and the special moments.

It's easy. Just click on the "Create My Blog" button on the right, and the website will guide you through the process.

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Most Recent Blog Entries

Title of Entry: Argument
Taking Care of Dad
By mere122 on 6/26/2009 5:02 PM

I just got off the phone with my sister and I feel like my head may explode. She called to tell me that she's concerned my dad isn't receiving the best care and she wants me to research other potential doctors. I asked her just when exactly she would like me to fit in the time to do this research. I get up in the morning, get my mother out of bed and dressed, fix her breakfast, get my family out the door, go to work all day, visit my dad for a few hours at the nursing home, fix dinner for my family and my mother, spend time with her, bathe her, put her to bed, and then eventually around 1:30 or 2:00 in the morning get to bed myself just to do it all over again the next day. She had the nerve to say if I really cared then I would find the time to do it. I told her if she really cared she ...

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Title of Entry: One good thing
Taking Care of Dad
By mere122 on 5/19/2009 7:42 PM

I have been caring for my dad for the past two years ever since he had a stroke. My mom after suffering a few minor strokes of her own has moved in with us. My dad is in a nursing home and I hate that he is there. I’m not happy with the way he is cared for, but there aren’t any other options as we live in a rural area and he requires constant care. I spend a few hours with him almost every day after work. He knows who I am, but the stroke has left him confused as he thinks of me as being much younger. He thinks I just got married, which was thirty years ago. It’s painful to see him this way. He was always so independent and strong-willed, and now he can hardly do anything for himself. My sisters live hours away and ...

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Title of Entry: frustrated
Caregiving for Mom
By lizzygirl0454 on 3/20/2009 6:19 AM

Help, does anyone care out there??

Title of Entry: thoughts this morning
Caregiving for Mom
By lizzygirl0454 on 3/20/2009 6:10 AM

Well, here it is another day and I am seeing an old friend who happens to be a psychologist at 10:30am today, my lil sister is going to stay with mom and our famly friend and I hope to get some feelings and thoughts out when i seee my friend Kathie. I am also in contact with one of my cousins who is totally awsome her name is Donna but we in the family call her Donnie, she is so willing to talk to me and she even has come up to where i live and she is only 5 hours away, her husband Larry brings her up here and i am so thankful that he is willing to bring her. Well, i have to go for now~ later

Title of Entry: MY LIFE
Welcome To My life
By sugarbooger on 3/1/2009 4:03 PM

I CARE FOR MY HUSBAND THAT IS VERY ILL . IT IS VERY HARD I AM 34 YEARS OLD AND MY HUSBAND IS 41 HE HAS DEMENTIA AND I JUST DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT WE ALSO HAVE A 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER THAT HAS BEEN WONDERFUL THRUOGH THIS HOLE THING SHE IS DEFFINTALLY HEAVEN SENT !

Title of Entry: Now what?
A day in the life......
By juan41 on 2/16/2009 5:58 PM

We've gotten into a kind of routine. Monday is oen, Tuesday Kay goes bowling with a longtime friend, Wednesday Kay has a personal trainer come to the apartment, Thursday she sees her psychotherapist on alternate Thursdays and on the other Thursday an occupational therapist comes to the house. On Friday she goes to a neuro-optomitrist for vision therapy. In between we have church, meetings for a couple of organizations we belong to, gatherings with friends, and family, travel, etc. It's a good life, really. I'm delighted I'm retired and able to devote myself to caregiving. I've given up the part-time teaching, testing and supervision that I was doing. I have a theatre series that I attend with some friends and do some volunteer work independent of caregiving, but otherwise, my time is connected with Kay and her needs. I'm ready to share the caregiving with others, either friends or a paid person. We have long-term home care insurance and I've called the company to begin to access that coverage. A first step is ...

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Title of Entry: snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes...
norain2day
By kimmyc on 2/3/2009 9:16 PM

today no rain, just big fat snowflakes. This is my first attempt at blogging and also within a care community, and I'm thankful that i found this great resource. I hope to figure out this tech-world and be able to find time and energy to tell you about myself, my story (MS included) and to meet a lot of you and share great info and support! i will write more later! ...

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Title of Entry: GETTING STARTED ON SITE
FEELING ALONE
By tessiehr on 2/3/2009 2:46 PM

I AM SO HAPPY TO FINALLY FIND SOMEWHERE I CAN TELL HOW I AM FEELING AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HURTING SOMEONES FEELINGS, I.E. MY HUSBAND OR MOTHER. MY HUSBAND HAS MS, IN A WHEELCHAIR, AND HAS EPILEPSY. MY MOTHER HAS ALTZHEIMERS AND LIVES NEXT DOOR. NEITHER ONE OF THEM CAN REMEMBER TO TAKE THEIR MEDS OR DO THINGS THAT NEED TO WITH OUT ME LEAVING MESSAGES FOR THEM OR DOING IT MYSELF. MY FAMILY DOES NOT HELP AS MUCH AS THEY SHOULD, MY TWO KIDS HELP AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, WHICH IS MORE THAN MY BROTHER DOES AND HE LIVES IN OUR TOWN, TOO. I WOULD LIKE TO GO CRY ON MY FRIEND LINDA'S SHOULDER, BUT MY HUSBAND AND MOTHER WOULD KNOW I HAVE BEEN CRYING, SO I WAIT TIL I GO TO BED. MY HUSBAND SLEEPS IN HIS RECLINER 80% OF THE TIME, SO I CAN CRY WHEN I GO TO BED. I WISH MY DAD WAS STILL ALIVE.

Title of Entry: Stone House Ranch ~ Independent Living ~ Country Style
Stone House Ranch ~ Independent Living ~ Country Style!
By StoneHouseRanch on 2/2/2009 8:14 PM

My Grandma lived to 104 years, she lived at home till in her 90's she would "forget to eat" and got enimic then fell. Sadly she ended up in a rest home, where she would not leave her room SHE DIDN'T LIKE THE OLD PEOPLE! She loved her gardens and nature. My husband's Dad was given 1 year to live. As his Dad also loved the outdoors, my husband brought him to Reno so he could be outside more. He lived 4 more years! We are dedicating our ranch to the memory of our loved ones, the pursuit of independance and lonjevity. We have lots of fresh water, fresh air, beautiful sunsets, lots of animals and country living! Join our family, come visit us! "Age is a preception, sometimes you precive it more than others!" Grandma's favorite expression!

Title of Entry: caring for another
caring for another
By lindakb55 on 1/21/2009 3:22 AM

I care for an 88 yr man in his home. He has dementia. I have been his care giver for 7 yr. He has been a challenge and a joy. And there have been times I just wanted to walk away. But, I am commited to seeing this to the end. It saddens me to lose him alittle at a time. When I started to care for him we go out walk around, have fun. I would cook and he would eat. Now he doesn't even want to walk down the hall. And I feed/coax him to eat and swallow. Trying to keep his meds balanced is a chore. I never know when he is going to have an outburst. He now becomes fixated on something, like bad guys trying to break into the house or this is not my house and I want to leave, and has become violent. It makes for a long shift as we just have to wait it out. With medication he is still manageable. I have never done this kind of work befor. I did go around house to house doing domestic chores. But that was it. I have been learning as I go. And I have learned alot.