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Click
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I have spent a lot of
my life taking care of someone that was sick.
First my children and then my parents. I learned a lot
through experience and also by reading everything I
could about caregiving and health. Caregiving is a
long and stressful road and I hope I can make your road
a little easier through my stories and links to
information you might need. I believe there is a God
that helped me and my family. If you don't believe the
same way I |
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do I still hope I can
provide the encouragement and help you
need.
Regarding my book: I am rewriting it
since I haven't been
able to get a publisher interested in
publishing it as it is. They
have shown an interested, but think it needs
some changes
made. (After I heard what they want, I
agree.) I don't want
to publish it myself because the self-publishing
industry has
a long ways to go before it is well accepted.
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Taking care of
Theresa & Eric
My
baby was supposed to arrive at the end of February so I
thought I would pack my bags and get ready in a couple
days just to be on the safe side. It wasn’t due for three weeks.
That’s when the labor pains started. I was going to have a darling little baby –
now! Jack
drove me to the hospital expecting to have a long wait
but Theresa decided she didn’t want to wait any longer
so after a total of four hours she arrived on February
4. The
doctor wasn’t at the hospital yet so the nurses
delivered her then wheeled us down to the delivery room
as the doctor rushed into the hospital. Theresa was such a petite little thing with tiny
hands and feet – and she was all mine! Theresa looked healthy and the doctor said she
was healthy. I
had worked for the pediatrician and thought he would
tell me the truth. I didn’t have any reason to think that he would
hide anything from me. Times were different then, though, and doctors
did things differently than they do now.
We
took her home to meet the rest of her family. Jack had custody of his three children from his
first marriage and they were excited about having their
sister home. Now
we were together as a family again. I had grown to love those three children very
much and was happy they wanted a little baby sister. I was also glad I didn’t work and could stay
home with all the kids. I didn’t know how life could get any better.
Donella,
my sister, flew over to help for a few days. Her
husband and two daughters drove over for the weekend.
They liked babies as much as I did.
They insisted on changing her diaper, holding
her, giving her a bath and anything else they could. I did get to spend a lot of time with her,
though.
That
was the start of the most wonderful years in my
life. I thoroughly enjoyed being a mother with
children in my home. Theresa and Eric had serious
health problems but they have developed into normal,
healthy and productive adults.
I hope their stories will encourage you
that are taking care of ill children, and offer insight to
the rest of you.
Jean Donahue
Read
my story
about taking care of
Theresa and Eric
Click here
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Taking care of
Mom & Dad
Sitting at home that Thursday night, I was wondering what to do
with the rest of my life. Both my children were married,
and I was free to do what I wanted, rather than what was
needed. I enjoyed every minute with my children, but it
was time to move forward. That’s when I received a
phone call that would be the start of four and a half of the
most rewarding years of my life.
My parents were in Arizona for the winter. Dad had a
stroke, and someone needed to get there immediately. The
hospital was trying to take care of Mom until
someone could get there, but the situation was not good. Mom had
Alzheimer's and couldn’t take care of herself, and Dad needed
to stop trying to take care of her.
My cat and I were able to board the plane in Des Moines, Iowa,
Friday morning around 6:15, arriving in Phoenix early that
afternoon. Dad recovered, but I had to make some decisions about
my parents future. I decided that I would do my best to make it
possible for Mom and Dad to continue living their life the
way they wanted as long as possible, then I would take care
of them until they died. The first two and a half years I
lived the life of a retired person (and
caregiver as Dad had more strokes and Mom had Alzheimer's).
Iowa in the spring and fall, Canada in the summer, Arizona and
Texas in the winter, and other places in route. We lived in a 32’
travel trailer which I pulled with Dad’s Suburban. Then, the
last two years we spent at home in Iowa because my parents were
unable to travel any longer.
Dad was 94 and Mom was 90 when they died.
Mom died in June, then the next May Dad died.
We had
some wonderful times together and some traumatic times together,
but overall it was extremely rewarding for all three of us. I
hope my story will encourage those of you that are taking care
of your parents, and give some insight to the rest of you.
Jean
Donahue
Read my story
about taking care of
Mom and Dad
Click here
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CaregiversHome.com
Information on care
of the elderly.
Read my column,
Practical Caregiving
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Lorraine's husband
was diagnosed with
pleural
mesothelioma
(an asbestos related
cancer) that was
uncurable. She finally
came to the realization
that
although she could
not stop her
husband
from dying, she could
help him to live.
To read her story,
Click here.
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I corresponded
with Pam for
several months
while she took care
of her mother.
Read the
Letter to the Editor
she sent to the
Des Moines Register.
Click here.
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Dr. Peeke,
Stress & Nutrition
Expert.
She has a monthly
column
in Prevention
Magazine, articles in
other magazines,
has
appeared on Oprah
and
other national TV programs
"Jean thanks so much
for sharing this with my
readers. I know so many
will benefit from logging
onto your website."
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Laurie Groves
WHO TV 13
News
“www.icareforyou.net
is Jean’s new
love.
A way
to share
experiences for
those
beginning
the toughest
challenge of
their lives,
the
end of their
parents lives.”
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Joanne Boeckman,
Des Moines Register
“For her,
caregiving
meant
putting
her own life on
hold...Her
reward for
taking care of
her
parents,
she said,
was
their
appreciation
and
their
smiles.”
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Please click here
to
read the
Legal
Disclaimer
I am NOT
suggesting
that
you use the
information or
buy
anything from
this site
or any of the sites I have
linked
to. It is up to you
to
decide what
will be
helpful
to you, if
anything,
and
what will
not
be helpful
to you.
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