***New blog post from Postcards from the Shadowlands:*** Being an advocate for my father has not always brought out my best side. So, I owed one of the managers at my father’s nursing home a big apology. Instead of forgiving me, she connected with me. And that made all the difference.
If you’re a caregiver for a loved one with special needs, you’ve probably faced major hurdles in getting them much-needed treatment. Sometimes we have to rely on skunk power. We annoy the right person until they’re convinced that helping us is the lesser pain-in-the-ass.
Picture yourself in a tug-of-war with a powerful monster.You each are holding one end of a rope with a bottomless pit between you. You pull in one direction; the monster pulls back. If you lose, you’ll end up in the pit! But you do have one other option to avoid being pulled to your doom. You can drop the rope.
When a doctor asks you to consider hospice care for a loved one, it can be overwhelming and frightening. A few facts might ease your mind.
Many of us carry the heaviness of our loved ones’ world on our shoulders. That’s a quick way to find yourself with a bad case of compassion fatigue, which helps nobody. So do an investigation and prove to yourself that your loved ones, like you, have invisible helpers who can help you carry the emotional load.
I’m back in the Shadowlands. But it’s different this time, because I’m walking the walk. Here’s what’s different this time around.