I am 51 years old, married and have one child. I have always been a workaholic, but family still came first. Last year my parents became very ill. One of my sisters and I started taking care of them, The other opted out. Little did I know at the time I was fighting a battle of my own. As the year progressed, parent health deteriated and my husband and daughter sensed something was going on with me. My sister and I were best buds but were not speaking , only leaving notes for each other every day...Read More
I am 51 years old, married and have one child. I have always been a workaholic, but family still came first. Last year my parents became very ill. One of my sisters and I started taking care of them, The other opted out. Little did I know at the time I was fighting a battle of my own. As the year progressed, parent health deteriated and my husband and daughter sensed something was going on with me. My sister and I were best buds but were not speaking , only leaving notes for each other every day at my parents. I drove 150 miles a day. In January I was diagnosed with normal hydrocephalus and trigiminal neuralgia. My dad died in Feb. and my sister and I came to a truce. Only by God's grace and the persistent prayer of my church did that happen. I totaled a vehicle out in March coming back from my moms and my health has determined to fail. I still drive to my mom/s three times a week as much as possible. I am fixing to undergo Cyberknife radiation to the brain in a couple of weeks. We are also in the process of having to put my parents house up for sale and it has to be cleaned out. My husband's job has required him to be about 12 hours away for most of the year. I do not mean to sound negative, This has just become my life and I know I have to hold on to God or I will never get through. I have known that for a long time though. My daughter is a sophmore in college, but she is back and forth. We were at 35 Dr.s since January. Disability has not kicked in and people tend to look at you like you are crazy so I stay at home except for my mom and the Dr.s. I ask for your prayer for strength to get through this. I still want to be a part of taking care of my mom. However, being isolated and being away from church family gets very isolating. I know they have there own lives too. I must say the role of caretaker is a call that is of God because everyone can not do it. As trying as it gets it is a blessing to be able to help someone. I guess I have seen both sides, because I shuttered in January when they said I could land up the same way from the hydrocephalus. I looked at my daughter and knew I would never want her to go through that yet my mom in her right mind would never want her children to go through it either. She has alheimers. God gives us strength to get through and we have to adjust to life as it comes. The miracle of being able to face the situations can only come from Him.
I am caring for my mother, Lou Nall, who is 82 years old, living at nursing home and the primary ailment is alzheimer's / dementia.