Your loved ones have become your caregiver, what would they write on this forum about YOU?

What my caregiver say about me? First thing she will mentioned that when my friends came over to visit for the first time in ages they say "what in the h..l happened to her?".....

"she use to go to the gym 3x a week for decades and now look at her, so out of shape.".....

and "how old is that cat now? 28?"

"I see she still has that old Jeep, she swore she would drive it until the wheels fell off... I see one did".

If the situation got reversed and my MIL was my caregiver, she would put me in a dress and heels, curl up my hair, add makeup and jewelry and perfume. I would not like this, I would rather be waterboarded at Guantanamo.

She always reads and works on her computer. Has a mind of her own and one is never sure what she is thinking. Loves to ride her mountain bike when she can.

Jeanne was a really decent caregiver for others, but she would never win a Great Patient award. She moans and groans and makes sure everyone knows she is suffering! (At least she doesn't expect us to fix her.)

Sleep is a huge issue. She has a genuine sleep disorder and her nights and days are mixed up. This was just odd when she could be left on her own, but now that she needs some supervision when she is awake we are having a very difficult time managing that. Right now we have two caregivers who cover 9 pm to 5 am 7 days a week. It is really hard when one of them is sick or needs time off! We think she might be willing to go to a care center but none of the ones we've talked to have a clue how to provide activities, meals, etc. on her weird schedule.

Food is another issue. She has a good appetite and likes a very wide range of foods, but texture is very important to her and now that she has some swallowing difficulties it is about impossible to get her to eat pureed foods. She is OK on smoothies and milkshakes but she insists on eating some "real food" as well, and we are all worried she will aspirate food. When she was a bit younger and it might have made sense she absolutely refused a feeding tube, saying she'd take her chances with aspirating and dying.

She talks to herself, but we are used to that. She also talks to a ragged old teddy bear quite a bit.

My caregiver would be saying "she keeps mumbling about garden artist, Tim Buck Two, something about send help two me, see willie, and other words, can't figure out what that is all about, were they characters in a Star War movie?"

I hear Sendme is building a tiny house on wheels so she can go on vacation and never leave home, pretty crafty for someone who is 101!

My caregiver will say:
Good God! What do I do with this crazy old woman! She has a dirty potty mouth and absolutely no filters. She seems to think that telling it like it is, is appropriate! She is willing to take her medications (thank goodness) but completely refuses to give up her gaming habit. She has accounts in every single MMORPG that is available and is always insisting we upgrade her computer so she can play faster (even though she has zero reflexes and spends her time yelling at the "noobs" in the game). I'm surprised she can easily work the newest of computer devices to play her games, but can't figure out the microwave or the remote control for the TV. She loves to eat a varied and large diet...so we must restrict her food but she swears that if we take away her Kraft macaroni and cheese she will stage a sit in. What's a sit in? She has an endless supply of cross stitch stash which she swears she needs every bit of, even though she has enough for many lifetimes. Finally, now that the right to die is in effect at the federal level, she constantly checks to make sure that her end of life (life stopping) medication is within her reach. With her genetic Parkinson's disease she swears she will off herself before she is unable to enjoy life any more. I worry I will find her dead in bed some morning with no warning...but she will have a smile on her face.

Angel

She doesn't sleep at night, just wants to eat junk food and is always negative. She hates watching TV and I can't find anything else she likes to do, she drives me crazy!!!

My eldest daughter would say. Mum's very stubborn she is an old nurse a prepared to go head to head with any Dr or nurse if she does not agree with their directions. Personally i think that's why she is still alive as there have been some serious imperfections in her careWhen she was too sick to really know what was going on and some of her marbles were rolling round the floor Dad was right there keeping watch and arguing with the Drs. drove some of them crazy but Mum found her marbles so all is well. I hope they will move close to me, they are not too keen to give up their independence but i think Mum's illness is changing their minds. i have just brought a horse farm and Mum says she is going to get a golf cart and drive round to harass the boarders. I told her she can go out and do night check. She said that I had better make sure the doors in her new barn were wide enough to get her golf cart through. I have a feeling though she may be thinking about a pony and cart or a dog cart. She spends a lot of time on something called aging care. Not quite sure what it is but she talks about Jude, Windy, Garden artist, Country Mouse, Hope, Book and Ladee and many others so I do wonder if these are real people or she now has imaginary friends.
She does bath and change her clothes but is very picky about her food. She has to fancy it or she won't eat. I could write a lot more but don't have all day like Mum.

She is sooo quiet. Its sad she can't read anymore. She always had her face in a book. Still has that warped sense of humor though. At least she has her faithful old cat to keep her company.