Got Energy? A Caregivers Guide to Good Nutrition.

As a caregiver, do you ever feel that at the end of the day you have nothing left for yourself or other members of your family? We hear it all the time, “I just don’t have any energy left.”  The life of a caregiver can be more energy draining than the life of the person needing care. Caregiving, although rewarding, can be relentless, under appreciated, and physically and emotionally demanding. Caregiver burnout is common.

Many times we see caregivers’ health decline. Caregivers are known to ignore their own health, stop disease prevention activities; they gain weight, stop exercising, and lose their enthusiasm for life. Lunch might be a quick candy bar or take out burgers typically inhaled between doctor’s visits or tending to hygiene needs.

Do you have a good or bad relationship with your physician?

Having a good relationship with your health care provider is essential.  However, what does a “good relationship” really mean? You know it when you see it and you know it when you don’t. 

My friend Carol has been sick for the last few weeks. She has a history of breast cancer and has had recent episodes of stomach pain and diarrhea resulting in a 10lb weight loss over a short period of time.  Of course everyone was worried about the cancer coming back in another part of her body, but the initial tests were negative.  Whew. We met for coffee this morning and she told me a story about her physician.

Preparing for Pain Management is as Easy as 1,2,3!

Several years ago, we thought my father had lung cancer. He had a single nodule spotted during a routine X-ray. He has a history of heavy tobacco usage; therefore we were not shocked when the surgeon said, “I am 99% sure this is a cancer.”  Many tears and tests later, he was scheduled for a procedure to remove the “tumor.”

Just one pair of shoes: A Labor Day tribute.

Labor Day just passed. When I was young, it was just another Monday holiday that gave me a reason to over eat, spend time with family and friends and not go to work or school.  I really didn’t understand the meaning behind the holiday; I just enjoyed it. It wasn’t until I became a home care nurse that I truly understood the significance of this national holiday.  My learning didn’t come from a class, article, or even website, it came from the elderly patients who shared their stories with me about hard work, sacrifice and honor.  It was while sitting at their kitchen tables and in their living rooms that I learned to appreciate and respect the people, now elderly, that created the convenient life many of us have in this country.