Have things happened in caregiving that you can look back on and laugh at now?

It's likely to take a VERY long time to see Mom's behaviors in anything like humor....
the entire 6 years here, we only shared a good belly-laugh -once-,
not for lack of trying to find some humor, somehow.

The rest of the time was pretty ...umm...complicated.
Dunno----maybe someday? And that may be best kept private, as it may resemble the most sophomoric of "morgue humor".

My first answer was going to be "no" also, but as I thought about it, I realized that my moms constant criticism of how bedraggled or tired I looked, especially in contrast to her unconditional acceptance of her favored grandson's cat-chewed flip flops, tattered jeans and wild greasy hair, was sort of funny. Especially when you also take into account the fact that her vision was at a "count fingers" level at best. Granted it has taken me two years to achieve this little bit of perspective, but there it is. And the episode of the missing tea towels, remedied by buying new tea towels that bore a passing resemblance to the old ones, and the teapot full of more lottery money than she thought she had that paid a nursing home bill for us...I think it was easier to laugh at then because we had more hope things were going to turn it better than they did.

It's a long road to healing, isn't it?

LOl I knew their was one. My Dad is almost deaf. He says "I can't hear you", I can't hear you" then when he does "stop shouting at me". It always cracks me up.

Good one kathyt1...I've had similar things happen. :-)

At this moment caring for my Mom I do not find much of anything that happens here to be funny but I hope and pray that someday when all the pressure is gone I will be able to realize that some things were funny but were just lost in the moment. My father lived a very difficult life with a father who was abusive to him, his siblings and his mother, but the one thing I can remember about my Dad and his siblings was that they always laughed! Going to visit them was the best time because they had you laughing all the time. I wish we had inherited more of that laughing gene! Life is too short to be so serious!!!!!!

I'm sure I am very lucky. My wife has a great sense of humor. And it makes the problems tolerable! She's having a lot of trouble with her toothpaste and the Sonicare toothbrush. First she was trying to brush her hair with the toothbrush. When I gave her the blow drier, she laughed. Then she tried to wash her face with the toothpaste and Sonicare. When I washed her face, she laughed. Then I walked into the bathroom and she was holding her arms out and complained of a terrible feeling in her armpits. Yep, she used the toothpaste for deodorant. After I washed it off, she grinned and laughed.

Her smile is everything to me!

i had a gal visiting a few weeks ago and i worked on her car brakes. she decided it was too hot outside and proceeded to come in the house and just wear my mom and sister out with her incessant jabbering. sis implied to her that she probably oughtta be outside helping me or at least pretending to give a damn. as her back hit the door mom asked sister where the " off " button was on that ? moms brain is slipping but she still knows when something is overboard or annoying.

My husband is in early dementia and has pretty bad short-term memory loss. Recently, we were in a pretty contentious disagreement/standoff, and after several days of sulking & giving me the silent treatment, he walked into the kitchen one night, looked at me quizzically, and asked me to please tell him why he was so angry with me, because he absolutely could not remember.

To SWOMBO...So sad and somewhat funny, but true. I have learned over the years of caring for my mother with dementia that it doesn't pay to stay angry. It is much easier to let things slide cause it is guaranteed that they will not remember the issue and get over it, so to speak, much sooner than you will. Have a peaceful day.

Last night my daughter walked into the bathroom to wash her hands and came to my room asking me to walk into the bathroom with her. There hanging on the towel rack was a white towel that my sister had written "RAG" on and pinned to it was a note from my mother that read "looks like a pretty good towel to me!" My daughter and I had a good laugh..... took a picture to remember it, and left it hanging there! There isn't much in this that is "funny" so when things like this happen it's nice to have a giggle!

My husband and I don't eat out much anymore but we will go to a drive thru. I pulled over and was feeding him and he made a noise with his mouth. I started furiously pounding him on the back to get up whatever it was he was choking on. Then he turned to me with a funny look and I asked him if he was ok. He said I just hiccuped !

My had was in the NH which my SIL was the nurse mgr of his floor, well one day my brother the husband of nurse was visiting my Dad and she walked by and my said to my brother (not recognizing my SIL) "you better watch out for her, she's the boss & she's a tough one...

Just this past weekend I had a grad party for my daughter at my house all my family was invited and my mother was talking with my SIL and said "look at all these people, I think I'm related to most of them"... ( so sad, but it's funny)

I can usually look on the bright side or at least try my best. One night when I was tired and Mom had used the bathroom I was cleaning her up I put on diaper cream and thought wow that new brand has a minty smell. The diaper cream was tooth paste, on a positive note it was sensitive!
One time before the poor little thing was having a mastectomy the doctor came in and asked all the routine questions she behaved herself as this guy was so young and a real cutie. Then she looked up at him straight faced and said she was a terrible drinker. The nurse was behind the doctor cracking up and the poor guy took her serious until she grabbed his hand and winked at him!
It's been a difficult day and I am very worried about her, this was a happy break writing this. Take care one and all!

My grandmother passed away over 4 years ago, but had a couple doozies.... when someone passed away in the nursing home where she was staying, she told my mom that he had "escaped" (I guess so, in a way!). Another time, she passed by a mirror without realizing it was a mirror and asked my mom "Who was that ugly b****?" (She never did mince words!)

We take my boyfriend's 86 yo mother to a restaurant for breakfast about once a week. She has a school girl crush on one of the twenty-something busboys who works there. Whenever we go there (or any other restaurant) she asks "Is this the place where my boyfriend works?" She is so excited about seeing him and always wants to make sure she leaves him a tip.