Took my husband to his primary care doctor yesterday. His first comment was to me.......you have lost weight, what is wrong?
I told him nothing, things were going along pretty good. He said the life in your eyes and in Jack's eyes is gone.......what is going on? We told him we were just tired.....lots of short nights. And there had been sleepless nights after interupted sleep for incidents for both Jack and Mom.
He went back to something he said the first time he found out we were taking care of Mom. He is more concerned about the caregiver than the patient. The patient is taken to the doctor, given their medication, given good care. The caregiver gives up appointments or doesn't make them for themselves because patients come first. They don't get enough sleep and don't eat right. The continued stress and worry breaks down the immune system and they are more suspectable to physical and emotional problems.
Oh well what else is new? He told me to start thinking about 24 hour care for Mom. I am not at that point yet......and I can't do that now.
2 comments:
Sue, you are blessed with an extraordinary primary care physician. I found the 24 care decision process the most challenging mix of emotions, reason, and safety. No formulas to offer just a path toward the 'best of possible'.
Caregivingly Yours, Patrick
http://journals.aol.com/daddyleer/CaregivinglyYours/
http://lairofcachalot.blogspot.com/
please take care of you i worry about you. i can't imagine how hard it must be to take care of someone and then have to look at 24hr care. praying for you
Deb
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