Posted 10/18/22
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. -James 1:2-4
Hi all! I hope all is as well as it can be for you and your loved ones! Things are about the same here as they have been for the last year. Things could be much worse, I will put it that way. 🙂 Mom is stable. She is at the stage that Hospice calls 7F on a scale from 1-7f. This means that she isn’t doing great… (There is no 7g or 8, this side of heaven…)
I was just thinking about a little poem I wrote some time ago: POEM
Similes do not do this disease justice. It is hard to explain the caregiving challenge, and I am just a part-time caregiver. However, today I was thinking that I may have been a little bit wrong in giving up. The (ultra)marathon simile may be close…but with modification. Here it is:
As a Caregiver of a loved one with a condition under the dementia umbrella of symptoms:
- You are going to run a 100k whether it takes a year or 20.
- You get no road markers. Wait…check that. You get some correct road markers and a bunch that are wrong.
- Some folks get help while running this marathon, others have people throwing Cheetos at them, and still others dodge bullets. During your run, you may be any of these three.
- There are few food or drink breaks…but when you find one, the temptation is to eat and drink everything within 100 yards in all directions.
- Just when you think the road is flat, you realize that it was an illusion and you have a quick mountain or valley to cross with little notice.
- Equipment matters until it doesn’t. It works until it doesn’t.
- Lots of folks cheering early and late. They are encouraging.
- There is a “wall” that you hit, and hit again, then get some renewed energy…so you can hit it again.
- The race can end at any time, or not.
- One needs good shoes.
- Both stink.
I don’t know, maybe even this simile is weak…
Anywhoo….we trod on, one step at a time, together. 🙂
Update: Heading out shortly to a care meeting about mom. I got 12 hours notice that it was happening. Very helpful. 🙁 Caregiver support group is tonite both in-person and on zoom. I have a clinical trial Thursday at WashU that I will give you the details on after it is over. 🙂
Have a great day, friends. I hope to have more time to write soon. Sorry I am in and out so much. 🙁
#EndALZ
