Marcia W. is from California, and was one of forty finalists chosen out of the over 1,000 entries to our “What Advice Would You Give to a Fellow Caregiver?” Contest. You can find our grand prize and runner up winners here.
What advice would you give a fellow caregiver?
I have chosen to care for my husband ever since 2001, the year of 9/11 and the fight that seemed to parallel my husband’s own struggle to know what we were actually fighting. In May of 2001 my water/snow skiing, basketball, baseball motorcycle riding, golfing husband lost his balance and couldn’t work. Diagnosed incorrectly with hunches and treatments, to this day we don’t know the cause of his brain inflammation. The experience has left us and our boys desiring a quick fix but leaving us with a chronic condition with no finish line. Long term care giving from 2001-2018 can cause the primary care giver to go into a tailspin.
My advice: start planning ahead to get a break by hiring others or asking family members to spot care for a breather. If you have worked in the military the VA is an amazing resource. Nursing students are eager to learn and helped with the task of transfers and condom catheters, provided by Shield HealthCare, a necessity that students are willing to learn. Circumstances out of our control are opportunities to see our life, world and loved ones in a new light.
My eyes have been opened to my husband’s long suffering, patience, qualities I am pleased to see. He claims joy in the middle of it all and I have to agree with him. What a mystery to see how caregiving can bring out the best in us.
Click here to return to the contest home page and read more advice.
Finalists were selected by the Marketing Team at Shield HealthCare. Those finalists were submitted to a panel of independent judges who picked three grand prize winners and five runners up. The judges included: Sandra Mitchell, Award-winning KCAL 9 news anchor and breast cancer survivor, and the Landers family: actor and comedian David Landers (“Laverne & Shirley”) who is living with MS, his wife Kathy and his daughter Natalie (“The Middle”). Click here to learn more.
