Welcome to Sundays with Susan…always about Alzheimer’s Caregivers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Sunday is here and the possibilities are endless!!                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 A walk on the beach, leisurely reading the Sunday paper, yoga, dinner with family, an outing with friends, or simply doing nothing. BUT not if you are an Alzheimer Caregiver; I know that as a former Alzheimer Caregiver to my late husband who had early-onset Alzheimer’s. In the beginning stage, life was almost normal as I learned to accept and adapt to the disease. But as the disease moved on, so did my caregiving and Sunday became just like every other day…full  of endless responsibilities and caregiving chores. By middle stage, I was living a life for two with very little free time, and by the final stage, it felt like I had no life but caregiving. It really didn’t matter then, as I was too exhausted to care.          

It seems as if the world goes on without us, and we go on without a moment to ourselves. Caregiving is not a sprint but a marathon, and caregivers need to make time for themselves. Yes, I know it’s almost an impossibility, BUT it must be done. I learned to take advantage of even the smallest moment available to me…a time when he was engrossed in something or a neighbor stopped by to see him, and I would disappear. Once I even hid in the closet for five glorious minutes of solitude when family visited. I learned to let my mind wander and think about pleasant things. Right before I fell asleep and he was already asleep, I cherished that alone time.  I came to call these times “my stolen moments ” and I protected them fiercely.  It’s amazing how the smallest things can replenish us.                                

I know your Sundays are just like every other day because I was there. But please remember this, it won’t always be this way. Take care of yourself because your Sunday will be filled with endless possibilities again.