28 replies to this topic

[johnjlm2]

I know I am a care giver when...

I can go through the checkout line with Maxi night pads, Fleet enemas, Monistat, and KY and not a hint of embarassment

When I stop and head towards my wife the second I hear my name

The smell of poop makes me happy

I am proud of the clean up job I just did on the comode chair

When I can unhook my wifes bra with one hand and help stop a leg spasm with the other

I realize I don't know CPR but I can cath my wife in the dark

Just some thoughts that I don't think others could appreciate.

[goose]

Welcome to this wacky world of SCI. Glad you have a great sense of humor [you'll need it]. Great job!

If you can't laugh , you'll cry. Choose carefully.

Edited by goose, 19 June 2011 - 08:13 AM.

[Boudica]

I must remember to give warning to my sister that I am about to move her in her wheelchair....I gave her a fright today!

[pinkcloud]

A main attraction of a career is what they can do with their big hands....to me spazzey feet foot fetish carers encoraged to apply, pay is minimal at 1p an hour because I'm skint but you can paint me toe nails in return and have access to me feet at any time

Edited by pinkcloud, 19 June 2011 - 04:28 PM.

[Tatiana]

Lovely post......its eveident you love your wife

Boudica, you did give me a fright...thought i was tipping back lol..funny though!!

[The Wife]

I know I'm a care-giver when...

The horse I'm riding immediately heads to the gate when he hears The Husband's voice over the monitor.

I get a manicure once a week, just so I can use their sterilizer.

The cashier asks me how old the baby I buy the rubber ended spoons for is, and I tell her 34.

I can tell what kind of carer a nurse is just by the tone of her voice and her fingernails.

I can have my quadriplegic husband dressed (in his suit) with his hair combed, teeth brushed, and cowboy boots on in less than forty five minutes.

I can tell which side of the bed The Husband's head is facing, just by the sound of his breathing.

[Hapahowlee]

I know I'm a care giver when . . .

I go into a public men's room with my husband when he feels he needs help and think nothing of it when other men come in to pee.

When I follow a lazy person in a parking lot who I see is about to put their cart in the area marked with diagonal yellow lines next to a handicap parking spot. Then I ask them how they think the disabled person will be able to get into their vehicle with the cart in the way. I follow-up with at least a 5-minute lecture on how difficult things are already for disabled persons and point out the cart return area is just 1 spot away from where they had planned to leave it.

I can adjust my hubby's shorts and stop his leg(s) from spazzing with my feet.

I'm at the store buying shorts for my husband and I automatically hold them up against me and check the width of leg to be sure there is enough room to pull it aside in order to get a plastic urinal up to the penis to pee. Or, if I buy a pair of dress shorts, I check to be sure the zipper is long enough to pull out the willy for the same reason.

[Tetracyclone]

great threat

[qbounce]

Hapahowlee, on 26 June 2011 - 09:49 AM, said:

I know I'm a care giver when . . . I buy a pair of dress shorts, I check to be sure the zipper is long enough to pull out the willy for the same reason.

That'sonehellofawilly!!-lol

I know what you mean, though. I switched underwear brands for the same reason.
This IS a good thread, and I too wanted to say Welcome John!

[jscott92064]

Awesome thread!! Welcome John!!!

I know I am a caregiver because I know "shit". I make it my business to know my husband's "shit".

So when someone says "you don't know shit, I can honestly say that's not true -- I do KNOW shit!!!!"

Around our house, we like it when "shit happens".

Edited by jscott92064, 26 June 2011 - 07:15 PM.

[zia]

I know I'm a care giver when I can roll my boyfriend over with one hand and position clean chux under him with the other all the while talking about the Bruins game we watched the other night.

I know I'm a care giver when I can tell when he is in pain and just needs a hug.

I know I'm a care giver when he calls me at 3 in the morning because his leg fell off the bed and he can't raise it up himself. And I can drive to his house in my pj's and baseball cap to help him out.

I know I'm a care giver when we go out to dinner and I automatically take his plate to cut his food for him so we can both eat at the same time.

I know I am a care giver because I have gone into the men's room with him to help him cath and have no problem when other men enter. To be fair I always call out "Lady on the premises!" when I enter and when I hear someone else enter. He always gets a giggle out of that!

I know I am a care giver when I buy Monkey Butt Powder for him - as a gag gift - and it turns out to really work!

I know I am a care giver because...I love him.

[jscott92064]

You know you are a care giver when you will pull all punches to get the last Fleet enema on the grocery store shelf!!!!

[mcwriter]

These are great!

I can just see them on bumper stickers and t-shirts-----Simon?

[Patty L]

On this looking for info for my mom. Stumbled on this. Very true! Especially the poop stuff. Something no one understands, but those who deal with it. Love the sentimental stuff. Cindy

[DannyR]

Great thread for an awesome group of people who are often taken for granted.

[smg]

You know you're a caregiver when you approach someone double your size and give them a stern talking to about parking in handicap spaces when they don't have a placard and when you keep paper and a pen handy to leave mean notes of cars that are illegally parked in handicap spots.

[Cytogreg]

I know I' m a care giver when I wake up and realize I've been holding my adult son's arm off the sheet to ease his pain for the past two hours and sleeping at the same time.

You know you're a care giver when you worry sleeplessly for the next four hours if that 4mg of Dilaudid and the Ativan will keep the pain at bay.

You know you're a care giver when you get thrilled over watching a two handed palm signiture.

[Cytogreg]

I just realized that the last post in this string was over six months ago. Oh well. If anyone reads this you will probably know where I'm at right now. My son did very well for the first four years after his accident. Then the neurologic pain started. It gradually developed over the past two years and now he is in bed many more days than he is up in his chair. Now life revolves around total body pain (systemic pain or Thalmic pain) and making it to the next med dose. He's a great person though. Keeps an outstanding attitude through it all. Wish I could keep a better attitude. I have gotten used to these two in the morning stints though. Sleep is over rated. ;-)

All of you parent care providers out there, hang in there, live in the moment and enjoy the little things.

[Rolilancou]

Oooh I wasn't going to post anything but then I thought... what the heck...

I know I'm a caregiver when my fiance thanks me for adjusting his crazy legs throughout the whole night and I didn't notice when and how many times I did it.

I economize my time to not leave him alone for longer than needed

I can dress him and myself in less than two hours to go out.

I can dye my hair in 2 minutes just so I can get back to him faster

I play juggler carrying the pills, the water, his gloves, his transfer board, my purse, both cell phones and what ever else he yells for as I'm walking out the door.

At a glance I know what pill I forgot to add to his pill cup and which pill it was.

I put his needs before mine.

Every time I look for tupper ware I make sure has locks or test them to see if they're easy to open

Everything I buy I taste, test, try to see if he can use it.

Whenever I go to the super market I take a detour by the baby section to get me 3 packs of baby wipes

I go around 4 or 5 times from the door to the bedroom every morning before going to work to get what ever he needs.

I make sure to give myself a 5 minute tolerance before going to work to do the above...

Every time I go to the pharmacy section I feel I'm in Disneyland

I come to this forum every day to learn new tips and tricks to make his life easier.

Edited by Rolilancou, 01 May 2012 - 05:14 PM.

[KaterinaWit]

Everytime I put my head on his knee, and my fingers up his butt, I'm so very greatful and thankful he is alive.

Edited by KaterinaWit, 02 May 2012 - 12:00 AM.

[tfdowney]

thanks to all the caregivers! all you do is appreciated deeply.

[skinnylatte]

True story: Once I was out of town on a work trip, and I was on the phone, so I was paying attention to my phone call, not so much what I was doing. We were at Subway and without even thinking about it, I put a napkin on my co-worker's lap, put his straw in his drink, moved it to the left side, and started to open his sandwich. Then he looked at me like "what are you doing??" and I realized I was just on autopilot.

[Spinner]

When you unconsciously start to watch all the cuts and bruises on the backs of your kids' legs to make sure they are healing well and won't turn in to sores!

@skinnylatte, your story made me laugh! Do you remember the scene from Mr. Mom where Teri Garr's character starts cutting her boss's steak during a lunch meeting?

[Asparagus925]

I know I'm a carer when...

I find straws in my purse.

At 10am, 2pm, 6pm & 10pm I have an overwhelming desire to remind my fiance to take his pills, even when we aren't together. And when we are, my 7 year old tries to remind him!

I don't even remember rolling out of his air loss bed when it's time for the night nurse to turn him.

I don't cringe when he asks me to pick his nose.

I leave his penis out for minutes after cathing, thinking nothing of it. just cause I'm used to it.

I put a straw in a bottle of water and put it up to my 7 year olds' mouth for him to drink, without even thinking about it. Whoops.

I always look for ramps and handicapped spaces even if he's not with me.

I'd rather sleep in his tiny air loss mattress single hospital bed and then move to a love seat each night instead of the super comfy double at my house.

[Rolilancou]

Asparagus925, on 04 May 2012 - 12:15 AM, said:

I know I'm a carer when...

I find straws in my purse.

At 10am, 2pm, 6pm & 10pm I have an overwhelming desire to remind my fiance to take his pills, even when we aren't together. And when we are, my 7 year old tries to remind him!

I don't even remember rolling out of his air loss bed when it's time for the night nurse to turn him.

I don't cringe when he asks me to pick his nose.

I leave his penis out for minutes after cathing, thinking nothing of it. just cause I'm used to it.

I put a straw in a bottle of water and put it up to my 7 year olds' mouth for him to drink, without even thinking about it. Whoops.

I always look for ramps and handicapped spaces even if he's not with me.

I'd rather sleep in his tiny air loss mattress single hospital bed and then move to a love seat each night instead of the super comfy double at my house.

He asks you to pick his nose too??? ROFL dang it... I thought my fiance was the only one that asked for all his orifices to get poked...

did I just say orifices?....

[missmill]

i am not his carer, i just need my husband, i dont feel safe in this relationship any more.

and how to tell the loved one that i am still in love with him but cannot live with him any more.

[Alwaysthere]

I know I'm a care giver when...

I started to try cry happy tears after reading these posts bc I do all the same things

When people stop in astonishment that I just sliding board transferred my almost 300 lb husband out of the car by myself

When every medical professional I meet asks me if I'm a medical professional

When baby wipes are top three on my shopping list

When the pharmacy tech and I are on a first name basis and I ask about her kids

When I know the difference in pain or pain ( as in sadness) in my husbands voice

When I can get up every 2 hours a night to turn him and still work 40 hours a week without skipping a beat

When I am on forums like this more then Facebook to help our situation

When all I need is his I Love You and thank you babe for doing this to keep going

Thank you for this i needed it...

[Spinner]

missmill, on 07 May 2012 - 04:27 PM, said:

i am not his carer, i just need my husband, i dont feel safe in this relationship any more.

and how to tell the loved one that i am still in love with him but cannot live with him any more.

Have you taken steps to get out of your relationship? Do you feel as though you are in immediate danger? If yes, please contact a local woman's shelter or visit http://www.thehotline.org/. You do not have to stay in this relationship. Sometimes things don't work out and whether a spouse is able-bodied or disabled you do not have be stay. Please check back in to let us know how you are doing or if you need support.

[edlee]

You are out with friends, at a resturant,, and you check to make sure their tubing isn't kinked,,,,, then remember,,,, they're AB

You MIGHT be a carer.
ed