For most people, a COVID-19 infection means a week or so of feeling bad, missing events or work, and getting lots of sleep and rest. But for a caregiver, it means being unable to access the respite help and care that enables you to keep going, while being pushed to your limits of energy and ability. By the end of it, you’ll likely face a messy house that needs cleaning.
Then, there are the little things: Is your loved one sick? How can you tell? Do you give them Tylenol, etc.? If they continue sundowning or nighttime wandering, how will you get enough rest? You still have to attend to dressing and keeping your loved one clean, often in frustrating circumstances.
This week on Monday I started feeling a bit sick with body aches and a spaced out feeling. Three days before I learned that we had a close quarters exposure so I knew what it had to be.
Due to infection protocols, I’m missing six-day program and friend respite breaks, two community band practices where I recharge my batteries, and more. It’s not just me feeling bad for a week—the repercussions last a long time.
Over the months, I’ve heard “Make sure to take time for yourself, or you won’t be able to take care of Heather” and “Put your own oxygen mask on first.” It’s all good, solid advice, always delivered with care and compassion. But this week, my most challenging one in over a year, what do I do with that advice? It doesn’t work at all.
My physical reserves are at their lowest, and I’m unable to arrange respite or help or take time to rest and recover. All that, plus the house is piling up with dishes and laundry. I’m so lucky because I can look forward to being back on track when this is all over, with help from family and the Day program breaks, but it must be very hard for people who don’t have all that. I can imagine how easy it would be to slide into despair.
Illness in the house is one of the big hazards in this caregiving journey. I knew this would happen at some point, but there’s nothing to be done other than ride it out and wait for better health.
Oh, no! It came to pass… Hoping you don’t have lingering affects. Did Heather catch it? 😬
All done now… it was 3-4 weeks between the Covid and the lingering respiratory issues but thankfully we are back to “normal” now. It’s hard too say whether or not Heather had it. If she did it was a milder case.