Welcome to the group! You have just joined people who understand--and sympathize--with your life. This is my 23rd year as a family caregiver. My mother had vascular dementia and I was her caregiver for 9 years. My twin grandchildren's parents died from the injuries they received in separate car crashes. (Our daughter was their mother.) The court appointed my husband and me as their guardians/caregivers. In 2013 my husband's aorta dissected and he had 3 emergency operations. When he awakened from the last surgery he was paraplegic. I became his caregiver the night I drove him to the hospital. So what have I learned? I kept my occupation as a freelance health/wellness author because it's my self-care. I shifted the focus of my writing to caregiving and wrote a series for family caregivers. I've also written two additional caregiving books and my latest is The Grandma Force: How Grandmothers are Changing Grandchildren, Families, and Themselves. I still volunteer with a couple of organizations because that's what I do. I still give talks and workshops because that's what I do. Every so often I have a "nothing day," a time to relax, kick back because that's what I need to do. I cherish the time I spend with my disabled husband because each minute is precious. We have been married for 62 years and are a caregiving team. You will figure out your approach to caregiving and the self-care steps you need to take. Again, welcome!

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