A Long Road

"Caregiving is intense and stressful.  Self care is imperative." Author

I was talking with a health provider yesterday who did caregiving of his wife for only a few months.  He said that while his wife was at Mayo, someone there administered a brief memory test for which he was present and participating silently; and he was shocked that his wife performed better on it than he did.  He told me this to confirm to me how very stressful caregiving is.  I realize that I am still not functioning at optimal cognitive level.  If you are caregiving, I would predict that you are not either.  So, we need to be gentle with ourselves, be extra careful with details, and put in systems to help us function and remember.   Written lists help me, as does keeping a calendar in 

which to schedule.

Today is my deceased husband's birthday.  Another first holiday for me to handle.