You know you are a caregiver if.....

When you feel like a jack of all trades. And your house looks like a mini nursing home with grab bars, lift chairs, shower chair, wheel chair, ramps and you are stocking disposal gloves, Depends, Ensure, Boost, pill bottles.

You run into your brother's hospice doctor at the liquor store on the day he starts brother on lasix and both you and the doctor are so worn out you don't even bother to hide from each other, even though you once served on the deacon committee at church together.

You get a "little" excited on discovering your relative with dementia has possession of your very unique house keychain because you know, had you gone for them yourself, you would have felt you were losing your own mind if you couldn't find them.

You begin to get less frustrated and see the humor in the everyday insanity of dementia. Like when finding a beautiful gift bag in the recycle bin, handles tied closed, open it and find a packaged bundled like a baby in a large paper napkin....and find 4 little poo bags from your dog wrapped in it....

you think coming into work the Monday after Thanksgiving when you prepared a modest meal from scratch, including pie and croutons for the stuffing, for 3 people, is more like a vacation (except for not having your pup with you).

Good one,

I guess I posted my previous post on the wrong thread - you know you are a caregiver when...you post on the wrong thread,

To pick up on Madge's thought from elsewhere- you know you are a caregiver when your kitchen table is piled with unopened mail and it isn't yours.

You think a Nursing Home would be a nice vacation :)

((((((Ellen)))))) my condolences on the loss of your mother. A 63 year old marriage is extraordinary. I am glad she did not linger long but am so sorry for your pain. Losing both parents within a 6 month period must be very difficult. My heart goes out to you. ((((((((hugs)))))))) and thank you for letting us know.

Reading all these comments is the best laugh I've had in a long time. Only us caregivers can joke about stuff like...poop, and oh yes!...those annoying, used, tissues folded neatly and stacked on a bedside table for further use, tissues folded and stuck up sleeves that come tumbling out when the shirt is removed, and all the missed tissues that I end up picking out of the washer and/or dryer.

JessieBelle, sounds like me...here it is June, my mom looks like a burrito wrapped in her blankets. I told mom no heater on when it's 90° outside. So....

You know you're a caregiver (for an elderly person), if you carry a coat, hat, and gloves wherever you go even if it's summertime. Love my little momma who turns 101 on June 16!

You know you're a caregiver if it is the middle of May and the heat is on.