JOAN’S BLOG – WED/THUR, AUGUST 1-2, 2012 – OLYMPIC CHAMPION CAREGIVERS

I have been glued to the TV this past week, watching in awe as young athletes from around the world swim through the water at record breaking speeds, fly through the air, twist their bodies into unimaginable positions, and push themselves beyond any level of endurance they thought possible. Although we caregivers do not, cannot, and probably have no desire to emulate their physical achievements, it occurred to me that we share qualities with these remarkable people. Then I realized that two years ago, during the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics, I had written a blog celebrating our Olympian caregiving accomplishments. I feel it is worth updating and re-posting to remind ourselves and everyone of the value and difficulty of what we do:

As I heard the stories of athletes triumphing over injuries, defeat in spite of their best efforts, extensive, grueling, painful training for almost as many years as they have been alive, emotional, financial, and mental strain, I thought about us – the spousal caregivers of Alzheimer patients. The same qualities that mold a person of raw talent into a world class Olympian athlete are those that turn ordinary human beings into Olympian caregivers. Courage, tenacity, determination, persistence, and the ability to keep on going no matter how many times they are injured physically and emotionally.

That is us – you and me and every spouse caring for an Alzheimer husband or wife. No matter how often Alzheimer’s Disease discourages us; defeats us; knocks us down; wounds us emotionally, we pick ourselves up and keep going.

More emotionally difficult than falling off a balance beam, a high bar, or a pommel horse after years of training, in front of a billion people, is watching the love of your life lose their personality, mental and physical abilities, memories of your life together, and essence of being. And knowing there is nothing you can do about it, except get up, hold your emotions in check, and keep on caregiving. If that is not worthy of a Gold Medal in Caregiving Olympics, I do not know what is.
So to all of us Alzheimer Spouse Caregivers – I award each and every one of us a GOLD MEDAL. We have earned it!

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The Alzheimer Spouse LLC
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