It has been said that the caregiver must first take care of them self before they can adequately take care of another. I agree with that statement whole heartedly but it is not always an easy thing to do. Caring for a loved one can be all consuming with little time left for anything or anyone else.
Most caregivers go about their daily task not asking for accolades or awards. They perform their duties out of love and compassion for the person they care for. In spite of the demands and frustrations that accompany caregiving many still consider it an honor and a blessing to care for the people they love.
My training and experience as a registered nurse had not prepared me for the voyage I was about to embark upon as my husband’s caregiver. While I was medically prepared, I was not prepared emotionally for the impact his illness would have on our family.
I challenge you not to only look at the task the caregivers perform but look at the heart they perform them with. Caregivers are real people with real emotions many times afraid to express them for fear that others will think they are insensitive. After all the caregiver is not the one who has the terminal diagnosis. The caregiver is not the one in pain and living with an incurable disease. For these reasons many caregivers suffer in silence.
In many cases the pain of the caregiver is equal if not greater than the one who is ill.
More next week from my book………….
Evelyn Johnson-Taylor Ph.D.