Home
Can't Find It? Search Here SEARCH
WHATS NEW!
Accessible Buttons ACCESSIBILITY
Fun Stuff Forum - THE LINK
FROM CIR TO YOU
 FUN STUFF
ARCHIVES
CAN U SPELL MS
FAMOUS PEOPLE
Famous People A-Z
INTERVIEWS
MS IS...
FREE NEWSLETTER
ADD MY 2 CENTS
Shops @ Life in Spite of MS ONLINE SHOP
BOOK SHOP
HEALTHY SHOP
MOBILITY SHOP
WEAR THIS! SHOP
DONATE
Learn About MS WHAT IS MS?
DEFINITION OF MS
WHAT CAUSES MS
WHO GETS MS
DIAGNOSING MS
MS SYMPTOMS
MS MEDICINES
ALTERNATIVES
LIVING WITH MS
CONDITIONS
MS FACTS
GLOSSARY
Resources RESOURCES
MS GRAPHICS
MS IN THE NEWS
MS PRODUCTS
BOOK REVIEWS
MS ANSWERS
LINKS
FAQs
Your Pages YOUR PAGES
YOUR MS HERO
Your Own MS-SPACE
YOUR MS STORY
YOUR POEMS
YOUR MS VIDEOS
YOUR COMMENTS
SUGGESTION BOX
SURVEY
About Us ABOUT US
CONTACT US
WHY OUR SITE?
ABOUT SBI!
Free Web-Building Free Online Success
Affiliates Course
Make Your Price Sell
Auction Selling
Netwriting
WAHM Course
Webmaster Business
Site Stuff DISCLAIMER
SITE MAP
AD POLICY
PRIVACY POLICY

Enter your E-mail Address

Enter your First Name (optional)

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you The MS Experience.

XML RSSSUBSCRIBE RIGHT HERE

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

 

MS Caregiver Part 3

If you reached MS Caregiver Part 3 first and would like to go to Part 1 or Part 2, click the links to go back.



Allow yourself to grieve

One thing I had to do when Cir eventually became disabled to the point where he couldn't work was allow myself to grieve. Why would I do that, you ask? When we married we had dreams, like all young couples.

At first they were put on hold. Maybe Cir would be one of those people who went into remission. Maybe he would get better. Or maybe researchers and scientists would find a cure and wipe out MS. Maybe he really didn't have MS.

But those scenarios never played out. Cir progressed until working a full time job wasn't possible. So the dreams we had were not just put on hold, we had to let them go. We would not be making them happen the traditional way.

So I grieved. Our dream home. Traveling. I gathered all our dreams, put them in a box, and put them in the attic. Maybe somewhere down the road I could pull them out again. But not now.

Now we needed to focus on Cir. Finding out what his treatment options were and managing his symptoms. Keeping him as healthy as he could be in spite of having MS. We had always been a team and we wouldn't stop.

As an MS caregiver you also need to:

  • say yes when others offer to help
  • connect with other caregivers
  • promote independence
  • trust your instincts

As an MS caregiver, your role is satisfying in the sense that you know the person you are caring for is being helped. Whether you are a spouse, family member, friend or an aide or carer, you along with the other caregivers can become closer because you share a common goal.

So remember to take care of yourself. That way you will be healthy both physically and emotionally when you are taking care of your spouse.

This is by no means a complete article about what it takes to be an MS caregiver. Stay tuned for more about what it means to be there for someone who has multiple sclerosis. And if you'd like to add your own caregiver story, fill in the form below (updating soon).

<-----Go from MS Caregiver Part 3 back to Part 2

<-----Go from MS Caregiver Part 3 back to Living with MS Family Issues

<-----Go to the Life in Spite of MS Blog




About Us|Contact Us|Survey
Disclaimer|Privacy Policy|Site Map|Search|FAQs|Advertising Policy|



footer for ms caregiver page