Reblogged from 2009
I care for my 92-year-old gramps and have been here for five weeks. He had three surgeries in seven days. Without Caregiving 101 training, I learned the hard way.
*Ask the doctor what happens if the procedure does not work.
*If a second procedure does not work, is there a third option.
*What is the recovery time and type of home health services needed.
*Is the surgery necessary for a 92-year-old who is already dying!
Gramps went in for non-invasive surgery, nothing prepared me for the outcome. I’ve been through several surgeries with gramps. This procedure had not been performed before however, it sounded like the least complicated procedure to date. I forgot nothing is normal or non-invasive at 92 years old. We went from going home that afternoon, to having three surgeries over seven days. I made the mistake of thinking the procedure would go as in the past. Age makes all the difference, five years at this stage of Kidney Failure can change everything.
I’m blessed to spend this time with gramps, we still have a long road ahead. It is emotional and life-changing. I’ve become the parent and he doesn’t like me telling him when to take his medicine. He has raised his voice more in the past month than in my lifetime. It’s hard to take it in stride, just bite the tongue. Stress has triggered my depression, I struggle to keep myself in check and take care of my gramps.
In Health,
Melinda
lookingforthelight.blog 
Wow! thats awesome you did that! Well done you not an easy thing to do! xoxo
It was very hard indeed but that’s what we do for love. He did much more for me in my lifetime. 🙂
First off, love yourself for the devotion you are showing. One day, when he passes, you’ll have fond rememberances. Second, don’t forget self-care! You’re no good to anyone if you’re balance gets all out of whack!
Your absolutely right, self-care is so important yet hard to remind yourself of when in the thick of things. He has since passed, this was a reblog from 2009. I have so many fond memories and wouldn’t change one thing about being a caregiver. I’ve caught on my sleep plenty since his death in 2012. Have a great day.
Reading your Bio, we have many things in common. How did you find my site? I haven’t seen you here before. I’m glad you stopped by and hope you will come back again soon. I will follow you and see how your journey goes. 🙂
I was looking for new, fresh blogs to follow. I think I searched recovery, sobriety, wisdom, wellness, etc. I have lots more to come, been away too long. Most of my followers have since moved on.
Blogging is about you, writing for you, not for followers. It’s people who appreciate you and the things you like that follow you. I work hard not to look at numbers but the quality of the interaction with the people that do follow me. You’ll get there by being yourself and taking your journey.
That’s exactly why I stopped blogging early in 2017. I had stopped blogging because it wasn’t for me anymore. I guess my point about my followers, was that when I converted to a .com blog, instead of a .wordpress blog, I lost a lot of great people in the process. I miss their insights. But you’re right, exactly what my wife says, keep giving it away. I’m back on my journey, not really seeking a destination.
We’re all on a personal journey and some we can learn from others not so much. You have a story to be told, you’ve overcome a huge hurdle, and now the truly hard work begins on sobriety. You have many other stories others can learn from and they are all worth telling. Over 15 years of blogging I’ve told most of my traumatic, troubling stories and now I mostly share what I’ve learned from age, being mentally ill, and having chronic illnesses. I also try to share information learned from other sources that are relevant. I’m here if you need someone to talk with. I’m 15 years in sobriety. 🙂