I read a comment somewhere today and can't find it again that this caregiver felt like a "wet Noodle". That is just how I feel. Had not been able to put a finger on it until I read the post. I took care of my Mother for 13 years until she passed of decline/dementia in May of this year and my husband has Parkenism/dementia. I thought maybe my husband and I would be able to travel a little but now he is not able. My ambition is nonexistant. I just don't want to do anything, like clean house, etc.
By the time I help him I don't want to start something new because I will have interuptions. Now, I feel better to get that off my chest. I keep reminding myself things could be worse and probally will be soon enough. Take care.
Wow! 13 years and not DH with PD. I'm really sorry. That's an awful lot for one person to handle. Do you have any 'little' things that you'd like to get done? Like one drawer or closet at a time? I found that very helpful. I managed to get 'almost' all the way through the place.However, the one thing I can't seem to get enough ambition to do is to vacumm and dust. Maybe that ambition will come back later. (think so??)
What about something creative? (Am I sounding like a pollyanna? I don't mean to be). I'm actually trying to come up with some new ideas for myself as well. Do you like to do container gardening. I started that this summer and I found it to be really therapeudic. Also, don't know if you like it or not, but some of the people are doing scrapbookking. That's something you might be able to pick up and put down.
Do feel better soon! Sounds like exhaustion to me.
Great idea. Mine has been sitting in the same spot for the last 4 days. Can't seem to get enough ambition to plug it in and clean the carpet. Oh, well. The dirt will be here when I'm gone. (ha ha)
We went out of town to visit a retired couple who are friends of ours on Saturday. We hadn't seen them in three years. They have a lovely home, with the yard beautifully landscaped and their flower garden should be in Home & Garden magazine. The interior of their home is a display for the furniture, artwork, and rugs that they acquired while living in various countries over the last 30 years. It too could be in H & G! Then I came home to my house that needed dusting and vacuuming; is overcrowded with knick-knacks (dust catchers, really) and our comfy reclliners; a corner with tubs of scrapbooking papers and goodies waiting for me; 3 loads of laundry to be done; and the flowers on my patio screaming "I'm dying of thirst - GIVE ME WATER" - talk about feeling inadequate!!!! I sat in my chair (after watering the plants and sorting clothes and putting a load in the washer) and thought about what to give away, throw away, reorganize, etc. - but after I finished all the laundry and went to bed and slept, I got over it. My life is now totally different from theirs and my main consideration is in taking care of my husband, and earning the money to take care of having someone to stay with him and provide the medical benefits he needs and will need - and there is not enough time left over for re-doing the house now! Plus, it might disturb my husband's comfort zone! That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it! <grin>
GO GIRL...wow...sounds like my house. I always say..."God made dust to protect my furniture". I finally folded clothes yesterday that had been in the basket for 4 days...hope I get them put away today...but who knows?? I just have little energy or desire left to do anything except what I just have to do.
lmohr - I can't imagine just finishing up caring for a mother and then having a husband be so ill. In fact, it seems the caregiving overlapped for you. I don't know how any of us get anything done. I just have a little motorhome to keep up, and today I'm thinking - maybe I should throw the vase of flowers in the trash and don't even feel like doing that. Tomorrow we go to Portland to see the research doctors, so I am trying to rest today so in case I can't get sleep tonight I'll still be able to do the driving. Already at noon DH is starting the stuff he usually waits until bedtime to start, "I think I am going to die", "Help me" and so on. In the meantime I am supposed to try to reorient my husband and try to avoid giving him the lorazepam. I should be fired from that job - I can barely make any difference in his behavior and am already thinking of sticking one of those under his tonque!
Kitty, I'd probably be one of those who had the opposite reaction and started having anxiety attacks of my own, but I'll keep this in mind! (Thanks for your sense of humor - by the way, I was a preschool teacher in my day and a good one, if I say so myself. I even brought my goats to school one day - didn't have a lamb!)
Oh mercy..thank all of you.. I'm laughing like a complete nut!.. I'm sorry that any of us have to feel like wet noodles and I'm sitting here with clutter and no desire WHATSOEVER to move it.....but the totally inspired notion of taking the under the tongue stuff is just priceless!! Continued thanks to Joan for this site!!
OK, I guess I'm dense. What is lorazepam? Is it a tranquillizer? And how can Tylonol do any good? Did I miss something. I think after caregiving for AD patients for any length of time can make your mind do crazy things. It seems like I get to laughing over nothing. Perhaps it a case of either laugh or cry. Anyway, I think all of you folks are pretty funny!
I didn't make my point correctly. When I said I took a Tylenol when my kids needed it as babies it was to ease both our symptoms. When your LO needs ativan you might need it also as you are just or more stressed. I did not mean to imply that the two meds were equal. Sorry if I offended anybody.