The question that just causes you to shake your head:   What do you do all day? To a caregiver that needs to be with their loved one 24/7 for safety reasons and has to sit through every episode of Bonanza, MASH and the Middle, only another caregiver would understand....

The last two days have been a bit of an emotional up and down.  Yesterday it was my birthday and for a number of decades mom has always come to my room the very first thing to sing Happy Birthday.  Not today.  Instead it was a clank on my door and a "Where is the...

One of my friends (Justin Torrence) was starring in his first movie last night - The Heart of Man.  So naturally I wanted to go see it and by the way, he did an awesome job!  I was going to go alone as it is so hard for mom to go up the steps.  But at the last minute...

As you've probably read in some of my posts fatigue has been a real issue.  Not just from care giving but in 2014 my adrenal system collapsed.  I've not recovered yet.   The fatigue has been nasty and last week I thought I had the flu.  I just felt miserable.  The...

Today mom and I were remembering or at least seeing how much she remembers of last year.  It was brutal.  She was hallucinating day and night, seeing 2-3 of every person, sundowning "jitters," Lewy lean to the left, this weird incoherent whispering, not sleeping,...

Mom and I went to see the solar eclipse today.  Wow!  It was challenging as initially she didn't want to go.  Glad she did.  And so is she.  What a special event!  #memories #livingnotdying

Last year was so awful that it cannot even be described on a public post.  Too many people involved.  It was enough that mom was in full blown Lewy Body Dementia symptoms and she only slept an hour a night.  The other hours were all about her trying to escape the...

Today I hit the wall.  My exhaustion was prohibitive to almost living.  Oh dear Father in heaven, what can I do?  A different situation with mom doesn't guarantee change.  It doesn't guarantee my health will be in a place where I can meet the demands of life.  Only...

This weekend I went away for a weekend without mom which was the first time in several years.  I had hoped to get some rest as mom has been in a semi-stable enough state for me to leave her with her husband.  I'm not sure the weekend was restful as it really became...

As a child the affirmation of your parent meant something.  So did the words that wounded.  And you would think when you grew into adulthood that somehow it changes.  It doesn't.  Even when you're much older and so are your family members.  Their words and actions...

This vacation was as desperately needed as the one before, even if it was just a week.  It felt more like vacation and less like care giving, although there was a lot of that.  I'm better thankfully although not fully rested or ready to be back.  Honestly there are a...

Off we go again.  After about a week home I realized I still am not in a good place with fatigue and the stuff here.  I looked at our free hotel stays and see we have some more built up (Get Free Hotel Stays with the IHG Credit Card).  This time we're going straight. ...

I had hoped to write about our vacation experiences and such but alas, the life of a caregiver doesn't always translate into the emotional energy necessary to do all that one desires.  Soon after we got back though we went to a lantern festival.  Prior to our vacation...

For as many years as I can remember we've had one swallow nest that gets populated every single year.  It's been a point of discussion as to which descendant gets the right of claiming the nest.  But  for over 30 years there has been someone hatching eggs right in our...

Today mom wanted to work in the garden and I wanted nothing more than to practice the Sabbath rest.  I overdid it yesterday.  But she REALLY wanted to be in the garden.  So with heavy eyes I drug myself out and we planted.  After awhile I burst into tears and we...

Mom has been having a weird thing lately where from the shin up she has swelling, but not from the shin down.  So off today to the doctor.  The preliminary diagnosis?  Venous reflex.  Not sure what that is.  A new thing to learn. Next to the gym.  She was graduated to...

I've been scrambling a lot lately, trying to figure out internet business.  Any business that will earn an income so I can stay at home.  So far I've come up terribly empty.  But have enjoyed the vast amount of things I've learned. At the same time in my busy of...