Tag Archives: caregiver
Accessing the code: Medical practice, insurance coverage, and me
Call me Yossarian. For three of the last five years, I’ve encountered an apparently unsolvable problem. Three of my annual checkups haven’t been covered by my health insurance. My family medical history indicates risk factors for at least six common, chronic, serious health conditions. My doctors have advised annual screenings. Government and insurance guidelines suggest screenings […]
What have I done for me lately?
What really matters to you? Are your days spent doing those things that really matter to you? Are you where you want to be in your life? Is your life organized around your values? Are you able to fulfill commitments you’ve made to others–and yourself? This glorious day began with a trip to the lab […]
If I’d known I was going to care this long
I’d have taken better care of myself. But: I’ve granted myself one indulgence over the years since Dad died. During these years of caregiving for Mom, I’ve allowed myself to eat whenever and pretty-darn-near whatever I wanted. I’m not an emotional eater. Instead, I often experience hunger as a kind of overall diminishment: weakness, sadness […]
Ambulance lessons: Who cares?
First responders tend to be young, or significantly younger than I. They tend to be male, with a few exceptions. They tend to behave calmly, purposefully, and responsively–despite whatever panic, confusion, and pain they confront. My most recent ride in the big red truck with lights flashing and sirens wailing reminded me of the traits […]
Vicissitudes, redemption, celebration, persistence
Another week, another chance to experience the vicissitudes of the caregiving life: examples follow. Monday: Mom suffered another incident of the mysterious coughing syndrome she’s developed in recent years. Often associated with eating or drinking and accompanied by sneezing, the syndrome has gone undiagnosed by medical professionals. She reported that Monday’s siege was the worst […]
Uncertainty, life, and marathons
Have we all had the sensation of time passing quickly, yet slowly? Have you looked back at a time in your life and thought that it seemed like it was just yesterday, yet seemed like it was such a long time ago? That contradictory sense of time has infused my life, especially over the past […]
Certainty, death, and taxes
This was my third year of filing my mother’s tax returns. Doing taxes always forces a review of the previous year. During these past few years, doing Mom’s taxes has forced me to revisit my father’s death–and life. I’ve had to examine his files for evidence of how he structured their finances and how he […]
Seeking shelter: Caring and real estate
What do we need in a home these days? Here’s a description, as it might appear in an ad. This home was designed with your needs in mind. The welcoming front yard has a level, paved drive and walkway that lead to a gently inclined ramp bracketed by sturdy handrails. An illuminated, wheelchair accessible doorbell and […]
Fashion backward: Clothes and caring
To dress or not to dress? That is the question for people whose days are unlikely to involve leaving the house. If no one is expected to visit, what’s the harm in staying in one’s pajamas? I am keenly aware of that issue as, over the years, Mom has opted to remain in her nightie […]
Springing back to basics: Food and care
Winter’s end represented a transitional phase for us. The seasons turned and so did our lives, just a bit. Spouse recovered from a two-month siege of digestive disorders. Mom recovered from a three-month period of injury healing. Once those two events transpired, I succumbed to my first cold in three years. The price paid for […]
Cape Cod caregiver 