How do you make time for self-care?
My mantra all through the LBD journey with Burt was that I made sure to have time for myself. I had help so I could leave Burt in good hands while I went to the gym or out to lunch with a friend.
I needed the time to feel normal because Burt’s world as the dementia progressed had gone upside down. I could spend time in his world, happily, caring and very much refreshed.
The aides were companions for him, and meant to keep him safe. His tenuous hold on reality had been an early recognizable symptom.
Later, I would find out that there may have been other warning signs before the diagnosis. Before there had been any call for a diagnosis. Burt had experienced double vision a couple of years before. We had raced around town trying to find a cause and a cure.
It’s futile reviewing missed signals. I couldn’t have known that double vision or his admission that he was confused when he came out of the park on a walk would lead to LBD.
Once you know, you know. That’s fine. And it’s stressful. Hence the need for self care.
this is our life 