Monday, June 14, 2004

Caregiving & working

Each caregiver is going to bring something different to their situation. This in turn only further increasing the unique variables of each family's challenges in living with MS.
I think what the caregiver does for a living has to have an impact on the overall picture. The ONLY release or 'break' is going to be when away from home and working.
With progression your ability to work will decline from full time to part time and less. Even trying to 'work at home' is a myth. 24/7 caregiving is a FULL TIME job.
Your spouse may or may not be fortunate to be entitled to any disability income. You may have children to support. Your family financial situation may or may not be stable when MS first enters the picture. All of these and more will make each family's financial demands different. The caregiver MUST somehow win this juggling act.
As a deejay entertainer I was able to work a normal June schedule for the first time in 18 years this past week with Patti safely taken care at her care facility.
How did I juggled this through the years? It was and is also particularly difficult to watch the "well" world whirl by playing and laughing. Coming home to clean up bowel and bladder accidents was real reality shock and had to have been so desperate for Patti. Fortunately, those days are past.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive