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DiscussionHusband has frontal brain damage from surgery, upset with challenges
Caregivers | Last Active: Sep 1 8:07am | Replies (21)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "I have friends that try to solve when I just need to vent. They don't understand..."
@lanulare I am 70 years old, and caregiving for my beloved wife of 47 years is the most emotionally difficult thing I have ever done in my life. I practice deep breathing and meditation daily. I read books and articles to her on subjects in which we have a mutual interest, and we try to find programs on TV that will make us laugh. We exercise together daily. We get out of the house as often as we can. But I get frustrated and impatient with her at times. On those occasions, I'm not as comforting as I should be, but I always feel bad afterwards and I feel particularly bad when I consider what happened from her point of view.
Give yourself some grace. Practice forgiveness: forgive him, and forgive yourself. Caregiving is incredibly hard, but remind yourself that what you're doing is incredibly noble and remember to give yourself a pat on the back from time to time. Also, see if there's a service, a friend, or a relative that can give you some time off. Just a free afternoon can make a world of difference. You're no good to anyone else unless you're good to yourself. God bless you and hang in there.
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@lanulare he is not the person that you married and living with that is very hard. I had frontal brain damage from a TBI 33 years ago (fine now) and it changes you. Lack of initiation (not engaging), mood swings, and being stuck in your brain are difficult, especially if you become invisible to him. When people would joke about me being brain damaged I felt like someone was punching me in the gut because I had no buffer for the "jokes". It would be good for your to talk with the doctor/neurologist for a support group or counselor. Good also to find ways to escape before you vent, even if that involves staying with friends/family, because he likely won't be able to process your frustrations. I hope also that he is getting brain PT to relearn and rewire his brain. There are also councelors for brain traumas.