Whew! It was another one of those weeks! Caregiving for loved ones always definitely has its challenges as well as its rewards, and this time the challenges seemed to take over. It's been a while since I've talked about it, because it's run fairly smoothly until now. This one was big, and now I'm super tired trying to get some rest, because this involved physical, emotional, and mental work. Thankfully, my other family members are aware of this and they're giving me some time away from my duties to take care of myself.
One challenge was dealing with multiple episodes of diabetic shock, and they were bad episodes. Both of them involved seizures, two nights in a row! The other was dealing with constant hallucinations that was causing my family member to get really aggressive. Three nights this week I didn't have any good sleep having to deal with these things, and I'm exhausted.
But not to fret, we went to the hospital a second time to get another evaluation, and fortunately this time we figured out the cause of all the problems, which was, to our relief, easily treatable. It may take a few days, but thankfully it can be cleared. We were fretting over the possibility of a more serious problem.
The interesting thing about these situations when I'm almost forced to step out of my comfort zone, I'm always surprised at the strength that arises from these situations. For example, during the first episode of diabetic shock, I was not only there to catch and prevent an injurious fall, but while we waited for the paramedics, I sat with her quietly on the floor, and strangely enough it was an incredibly peaceful moment. As unwanted these events are, I find them to be great reminders to me about those parts of me I don't see every day that are good. It's like experiencing the words of affirmation, yet instead of hearing it directly from another's mouth, it's heard inside of me. I hope that makes sense.
Physically I started feeling how much I took on the moment I got back home while other family took on the responsibility to do the caring. They know what I've been through and insisted I go home and get some rest. I'm exhausted, and it's going to take a while for me to get all the rest I need back, but now that we know what's wrong I can relax easier. Life certainly loves to take those quick turns, right? I have neighbors, friends, and family all thinking about us, and praying for us. On a side note on that last phrase, I don't take offense when people say that, because for some of them it's the only way they know how to express their sympathy. I'm thankful for everyone's expressions of sympathy and support. It's always nice to have someone care about what you're going through.
It's been a rough week, but life goes on, and so will I. The good thing about having a low is that the only direction to go is up, and that's what I'm going to do, like it or not.
Have a wonderful day.
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| A morning sunrise inspiring the soul to make this day the best ever. |
