Part memoir, part celebration, part rant about Alzheimer's from a caregiver's point of view.
Category: caregiving
By Samra Jones Bufkins One of the few hobbies I have left is gardening. I love the challenge of growing tropical plants in containers. The plant above is a plumeria, which takes years to get to this size and to bloom. Native to the Caribbean, they are also very prolific in Hawaii, where their flowers are … Continue reading Caregiver’s Log, Friday April 6, 2018
January 30, 2018 TMI Alert: This one doesn't sugarcoat anything. For the third January in a row, we've been to the ER. This time, hubby was admitted for pneumonia on January 2. Ten days later he was moved to a skilled nursing rehab facility to work on regaining strength and balance. That was 2 weeks … Continue reading Time to get real about this
Fearing our worst fear By Samra Jones Bufkins For some unknown reason, I became deathly sick to my stomach last night. Because of the timing, I'm blaming it on the 9th inning implosion of the Houston Astros in Game 4 of the World Series, but I digress... During one of my trips to pay homage … Continue reading Caregiver’s Log, October 29, 2017
It's been a while since I've updated the blog. A lot has happened, and I'll get to all of it in future posts, but this CBS News story really strikes a nerve, and I can't go to sleep without writing about it. Quick update: Near the end of January Bill slipped or tripped and hit his … Continue reading Finally! Somebody’s paying attention to Alzheimer’s caregivers. (Part 1)
Just about the time things fall into a routine, the disease changes it for everybody.
There’s a term for one of the feelings caregivers suffer while their loved one is still alive—Ambiguous Loss.* Caregivers for people with dementia suffer the painful paradox of living with a person who is physically present but sometimes psychologically absent. The rollercoaster ride of good days and bad days exacerbates the ambiguity of the loss.
I've never been good at asking for help. I'm the one who usually jumps in to help or lend an ear when someone's suffering. So dealing with the progression of Bill's dementia--and all that comes with it--has been a journey. I haven't had time to get involved with the Alzheimer's Association, but I know I need … Continue reading Friends are the family you choose
