I am beat. I am spent. I have run out of energy and coping skills way before I have run out of the hours left in the day. 16 to 18 hour days chained together in unison begin to blur and merge into one uninterrupted freight train.
Is today Wednesday or is it already Friday?
How many doctor visits, prescription medication refills, bills to be paid or errand stops have we logged on the calendar for today? Oh, and today is really Saturday? What happened to the past 3 days?
On the phone, on the go, writing checks, driving seniors to and from their many doctors’ appointments. Grab a coffee shop meal here and there then off to the next destination or mission.
Then there is my full-time sales and supervisory position with our local Elk Grove Home Depot. The weekly work schedule often varies which means caregiving duties and all other activities must be woven and stitched between and around my home improvement work hours.
Whew! Mixing full time caregiving with a full time job is kinda like tossing into a salad blender the activities of an executive secretary, a touring rock band sound & stage setup roadie, nurse, taxi driver and handyman. Gotta be organized yet quick and somewhat manic, have a formidable attention and recall for details and have a healthy and sturdy cast iron back.
Would somebody just lead me to a dark, quiet blackened cave with a soft spot to collapse in and sleep for 5 days nonstop??
I wish to embark upon my own mini-hibernation for, say a week. Just like the bears do in winter.
Don’t get me wrong here. I am not a quitter and never have been. I actually stepped into the caregiving world with both my eyes wide open. Ready to make sacrifices and put the interests of our aging parents ahead of myself.
It is just that today is still only Saturday and I have emptied my fuel tank before this day has ended.
My wife says I can fall asleep as quick as within 3 minutes flat.
With sleep in mind, where’s my trusted old friend, “Mr. Living Room Couch”?
“Yo! Mr. Couch! Your most popular recliner is about to land once again!”
Perhaps today, I can beat my falling off to sleep in under 3 minutes record with a new personal best elapsed time?
I just really do not want to deal with anything more today!
This is Jeff Dodson...signing off.
Jeff Dodson
July 7th 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment