Everyone’s journey is their own Your experience with your pwd will likely differ from mine. It’s never the same, yet there are the broad strokes. Different and the same, there are symptoms that may be familiar or that you and your loved one may never encounter. The saying among LBD carers is “if you’ve metContinue reading “It will be different”
Category Archives: Mindfulness
Grieving
At the recommendation of a friend, I started reading [aka, listening to] Geraldine Brooks’ Memorial Days. [I am rewarded for my new audio gal habit by listening to the author herself.] All those asides are beside the point. Brooks’ says early on that she did not grieve fully for her husband because society has devaluedContinue reading “Grieving”
What next
When that diagnosis of dementia comes, it’s natural to wonder how the future will look. Dementia is unpredictable, LBD perhaps a tad more so then Alzheimers, but all dementias are unpredictable. It’s hard to never be sure what’s in store for us. The uncertainty can be very disorienting for the caregiver. I also imagine thatContinue reading “What next”
Stay calm
My role as a caregiver to a person with [Lewy Body] dementia demands I get acquainted with psychosis. A calm and contained demeanor is preferred to one in which I freak out. In a tour of an exhibit in which art and psychiatry crossed paths, it became clear to me that the psychotic makes meContinue reading “Stay calm”
Purpose
Well. That’s a mouthful. We need purpose to avoid aimlessly wandering through life. A shopping list gives me purpose. A need to fulfill and a will to fulfill it. There’s intent there. It’s actionable. Purpose seems like a lofty goal, but I guess what I’m saying is it’s not out of reach.
I love you
Reassurance is important for my person with dementia. I slip and forget sometimes. I realized this today when I said, “I love you, sweetheart.” He did not respond with an “I love you too,” but with “you didn’t tell me in a long time.” His remark serves as a reminder to me to say “IContinue reading “I love you”
Gratitude
What do you complain about the most? The caregiver’s journey is often lonely, depressing, and difficult. A recent support group seminar served as a reminder that there is a lot for which to be grateful while caregiving. The Caregiver Teleconnection program from WellMed Charitable Foundation focused on the Positive aspects of the journey. For instance,Continue reading “Gratitude”
Relax
An email recently introduced me to a concept I had only hoped to see or actually hadn’t even imagined. Juilliard, which holds a wide range of shows the hubster and I had enjoyed over the years, announced a series of “relaxed performances.” The Met museum has regularly scheduled programs similarly geared to audiences with autismContinue reading “Relax”
Burnout
It’s a topic of great interest to anyone who is caring for another human being. Family caregivers have a dose of extra responsibility. There’s the physical caring, which seems like a lot. It’s not all. We also make personal decisions about the healthcare of our loved ones. Financial decisions fall to us as, often, doContinue reading “Burnout”
One day at a time
This cliche of better living is a caveat not just for members of the 12-step community but for anyone wishing to enjoy a more balanced life. Ironically, it is in the throes of my husband’s difficult diagnosis that I found a way towards “living in the moment.” At first, I was thrown by every changeContinue reading “One day at a time”
this is our life 