2/10/14

VISITING the sick


I have mentioned in the past that I am my father's caregiver. It is stressful and tiring. It is the reason I have not posted on any of my sites more often. When a spare minute happens I close my eyes and "sleep" for that moment. I will not complain about doing this. I'm honored to take care of my dad. But oh for a good nights sleep.

Don't forget those who are sick. Do not be afraid of their illness. Call them, send cards, visit them...remember them.


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16 comments:

  1. Ahh, to sleep, to sleep with a warm cat and a small bell at your side to ring, knowing someone will come. Still asleep? No matter, your readers will creep quietly though the old stories until another day.

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    1. I remember a bell just like this that my mother always put at the side of my bed when I was sick, and I was sick a lot as a child. The bell was well used.

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  2. I hope you can get some rest - and can continue to care for your dad. My dad is sick too - it's been a hard winter between the horrid winter weather and his illness.

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    1. It's so very hard watching their lives slowly transform into something you had actually expected.

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  3. We had my wife's father live with us for a while that ended up to be 7 years. People do not even begin to understand the time it takes and the tired that you feel. I wish you the best. Larry

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    1. Thank you. It is complex and tiring, but it puts you in touch with a side of yourself you might not have expected was there.

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  4. Having done this over the last 20 years I know exactly what you are dealing with. It is very consuming. Now that all ours have passed on, I sometimes am amazed at the time I have, but other things fill it up. Be well and enjoy those naps, you really need them. It is a tiring duty.

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    1. Thank you. I am amazed at the fears I have conquered while doing this. I surprised myself years ago when taking care of my mother. I'd have thought myself a much weaker person.

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  5. Wise thoughts and kind words. Here's hoping you get a good nights' sleep soon.

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    1. Thank you. Not enough sleep for sure, but I figure I'll catch up eventually.

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  6. When my momma had her first heart attack, I was so glad to look after her till she could go back home. But with 4 young children in our home, I think that she did not sleep all that well. I know many young people who are in the so-called 'sandwich generation' whereas they are still raising children and caring for a parent. I think that you and they are gems in our world today. perhaps when your dad naps, you could try to do the same. God bless you.

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    1. I'm much older than the sandwich generation. I guess you could say I've reached the early bird special buffet stage.

      What "scares" me the most is being in charge of things like infusions. Until I got used to it it terrified me. But that's the way medicare works these days. Either the patient themselves has to do it or a family member/friend.

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  7. Your dad is very lucky to have you. I hope you can catch up on some proper sleep soon. :)

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    1. Thank you. Last night several hours of sleep. Yeehaw!!!

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  8. I can easily sympathize. I cared for my mother who had Parkinson's Disease for the last years of her life. When I had to be out of the room we used a Radio Shack bell that had a small handheld pushbutton that rang a remote bing-bong chime that I carried in my shirt pocket. Some small shops use the same bing-bong chime for their door alert when a customer enters. It still haunts me. For a long time, I couldn't even go into a shop that used that chime.

    She got to live in her own home in her last years and that was important to her. I am glad I was able to help her.

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    1. The buzzer sounds like a good idea, but I can imagine how it got etched into your brain. I used to have an alarm clock that sounded just like the big bell they rang at the high school. More than once it woke me up and I took off running down the hall thinking I was heading to another class only to find myself in my pjs going nowhere.

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