A Welcome Relief from My Duties as a Primary Care Giver

The other day, my daughter and grand daughter, Dinah and Elaine(photo above) visited us. They stayed overnight and the next day they took Macrine shopping in our local mall. Macrine my spouse of 59 years has stage 2-3 Parkinson Disease. Her tremors and movement problems are controlled by medications. However, there are side effects of her medications. One of the side effect beside numerous others are her feeling of isolation and not loved. So, Macrine welcomes a telephone call and even better a personal call from her friends and relatives.

As my wife's Primary Care Giver (PCG), I need relief once in a while for my own health and sanity.

A week before, Dinah during her weekly call had already discussed this visit. Macrine was super anxious of the visit and keep asking me when the visit would be. She insisted I prepare a good breakfast and lunch. She insisted I buy Linguisa( Portuguese sausage) besides fried rice, and huevos rancheros for breakfast as well as La Sagna and Hawaiian bread rolls for lunch.

On the day of the visit, the three ladies went to the mall for shopping ( shoes and watch). Macrine was planning to buy only a pair of shoes. She went home with three pairs. She said there was a buy one get one free sale. They went shopping for 3 hours and was back home in time for her next medication. This was a welcome relief and reprieve for me. During this 3 hours I had time for a leisurely bath and shower and time for cooking lunch. What a relief not too hurry taking a shower. I had also time to write this posting.

Once again, my million thanks to my Daughter and Grand Daughter for the visit and taking time from their own hectic schedule to visit and take Macrine for shopping. This was a much needed relief from my duties as a PCG.

Macrine enjoyed this visit very much, they have already scheduled a date for the last week of October, when Dinah can take a day from work.