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Marcella H.  Marcella Caregiver & Family November 2010 changed my roles as a mother of four sons, a grandmother, a wife, a registered nurse, a graduate student and daughter. It became the month that I became a full-time caregiver of a stroke patient, my mother. My husband and I moved her into our house after she completed a brief stay in the hospital for cardiac issues. Previously, my mother lived alone. She saw the change as an opportunity for her to interact with her grandchildren (my three nieces who live with me) and to get to know my husband's father, despite his severe Alzheimer's disease. Nobody could have prepared me for the daily emotional labilty, frailty and altered ability to communicate. You see, when I used to visit my mom, I always knew what she meant and we enjoyed our brief visits. Now, there was a daily challenge to decipher her words into what her actual thoughts were, and there was constant advocating for her with society and all that encompasses. Ironically, she demonstrated classic symptoms of stroke two years ago, but did not notify anyone for six hours making her unable to receive lytic therapy. |
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