I guess I'll go first with this one.
The thing that stands out the most for me about MIL with alzheimers.......
Everything is ALL ABOUT HER. I could cut my arm off and be bleeding on the floor right beside her and she would worry about who was going to bring her a cookie.
I am treated as" a nothing" in her world.
Then I feel guilty for thinking she's an old battleaxe.
Well that's my confession.
How about yours?
My trouble was I didn't know which bugbear to pick! But I think I've boiled it down: the one thing that bothers me most about caregiving is the constant feeling that I'm really not very good at it. My poor mother :(
Marialake is well aware of the Alzheimer's Association and support groups. As are the rest of us. I don't know about you but I need to find humor in all this dementia sadness, it's helps me get thru the 24/7.
This question was just posted as a way for us to give off steam!
I understand when you say you feel "abnormal". I describe it as my arms and legs are made of cement. It's too hard to even hold your arms up to wash your hair. It comes and goes with me. Mine is a combination of a thyroid problem and depression. It might me easily fixed with a pill.Try to get yourself to a Dr. to find the reason and TREAT it. Good luck!
One of my "friends" told me not too long ago (via message on FB, as they don't ever come to visit) but they told me that "I had changed".....heck yes I have changed...and probably will never be the same again...and I have to say I don't dislike the change because I have been too dang nice my entire life and I finally found my voice.....
I miss being able to visit for a couple of hours then leave. Im ashamed to admit that I dont get to enjoy the fact that he cannot drive far on his own, and would not have been able to bother me if I were still in my own place.
I felt bad and I apologized to her for yelling. Sometimes we get put in a disheartening situation. It's like being poked with a stick repeatedly with instructions that say we're not supposed to react. But we are only human. At least I am. I haven't been able to find that superhuman caregiver cape yet.