Author Topic: Hello to all
lance
Member posted 01-20-2000 11:31 AM
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I typed "caregivers" into the search engine and ended up here. My name is Lance and I do 24/7 for my 77 yr. old Mother. I have only been at this for 1&1/2 years, but I can relate to most of the issues that I read about. That's the reason that I registered.
My Mother had a severe stroke in March of 98 and I have been at her side since. I live 1200 miles from where she lived and spent 3 months,from intinsive care through release from rehab,there and then transported her with the help of a sibling and a friend by motorhome to my part of the country. I had my mobile home tranformed into a caregiving facility and Mother only had to spend 1 month in a nursing home before it was ready to recieve her. Aug.10,98. I have a sound proof section where I live and the rest is a suite with roll-in shower,lowered sink vanity,easily accessable elongated toilet and hand rails in strategic spots.I monitor her by intercom. I was able to do all of this because my Father left her in fair financial shape. In the last two years her financial situation has changed and I wonder how much longer I can continue to care for her,as I keep jugling and hopping on 1 foot.
Josephine is only physically debilitated today. When I brought her home she was sleeping as many as 20 hours a day,hallucinating and unsure of where she was and who I was. It took months to bring her around. I took her off of all of the medications that they use to control patients with,and got my Mother back. I have to move quickly, but we no longer depend on depends. According to the nursing home she was incontinent with no bowel control. Sitting in her own waste was accepted there. It doesn't happen here.
I have had both of her eyes operated on for cataracts and she is now able to see and work crossword puzzles. I don't think she would have lived more than a couple of months if I had to leave her in that home. Now she answers and uses the phone,eats like a horse and cracks jokes all day. We have come a long way and I also wonder how long I can continue to do this job. Now at 47 I wonder what career field I will be able to enter once I am in my fifties.
I just wanted to introduce myself and Josephine. We are here all of the time and now that I know where all of you are I look foreward to meeting new people and sharing this strange and wonderfilled experience. Caregiving.
Lance
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The administrator has reposted this under Caregiver Issues since no posts are permitted in the Update -What's New Forum at these boards.
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