Spending a day doing some Spring Cleaning (I have given up on Winter); I was reminded that Caregiving is more often than not about the extra homemaking. Housecleaning, laundry, yard and garden, shopping, cooking, household maintenance & repair, vehicle maintenance & repair, paperwork, driving, and so much more – you progressively gain the other person’s share and past roles. You may have to ‘learn’ new skills <grin>, at the least you will loose significant “me” time.
Caregiving devours your time much like in an old movie when the characters start stripping the train to feed the engine.
No one but another caregiver can understand t he time spent, organizing meds, extra laundry, special diets, cleaning, disinfecting, all the yard work, shopping, washing and detailing t he car, taking it in for maintenance, calling for house repairs, signing contracts, doing all the banking,etc. You are right, you take both roles and everone seems to think that is natural and perhaps it is. Today I ran away for two and a quarter hours to the casino, spent some money, and totally relaxed. Jack was fine, and I felt better. It is a necessary thing to do. I am sorry he would not go with me but that is always his choice. Oh well... would we have it anyother way? We do what we do to make things easier on the patient.
ReplyDeleteYou and "Analeighia" sure hit sore spots today. How can they think it is "normal" to "gain the other person's share and past roles." O well, when I finish with this pity party I will go back to being the strong, ablebodied (no me time) partner that I always am. Thanks for letting me vent.
ReplyDelete