March Interview with Denise Brown

In the March interview with Denise Brown of CareGiving.com, we talked about the stress of a working caregiver. I realized during our conversation there is a baseline of normal for my stress level and then there is a line that when I cross it, know I am under too much stress.

I feel it from my toes to the top of my head. I am tense and focused on plowing through the situation. My lips are pursed, my eyes are squinty and I forget to eat, drink and go to the bathroom.

Grumpy Cat - Always full of wisdom

Stress builds up and is manageable until it isn’t.  It can be one little thing that makes me cross that line (an unexpected work project; a deadline that has been moved up; a cluster of seizures Robert experiences or the question “why don’t you handle ‘insert project here’ this way?”).

I AM GOOD AT MY JOB SO LET ME DO IT!

There is a line and I know when I have crossed it.

I get cranky (see above) and need to indulge in self-care.  What if there isn’t time for that?  Then I postpone the self-care for a short-period of time (a day, a week) but I know that it will happen. For me, self-care is usually a manicure or pedicure (or if I am really indulgent, both). If my schedule is so packed that I cannot indulge in that block of time, I know that I have to do something to relax – maybe just watch a television show or have unproductive computer time (you know, watching cute cat or dog videos).

Where is your line?  What do you do when you have crossed from the manageable stress level to the “I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!” level?

I invite you to share what pushes you over that line in the comment section below.  

Also, please join us the second Saturday of each month to listen live so you can participate and ask questions or comment in the chatroom during the show.  I look forward to the show with Denise and as we also discussed this month, the shows are a great collection of the ups and downs of caregiving – each month is a new episode.

Denise asked what I hope to talk about in April. I told her I hope to have the house sold and have us well on the way to moving into a one-story house. That is an episode I would like to end soon!

I think I might actually yell, “That’s a wrap!” when we sign on a new house – someone get me a megaphone!  

Thank you for listening (and reading). 

The March show can be heard here.

Monthly Interview with Denise Brown

It is hard for me to believe my first interview with Denise Brown of CareGiving.com was in February 2011. Since that time, I have periodically joined Denise on her Blog Talk Radio program to discuss caring for Robert and other caregiving issues and have been a monthly guest for some time now, discussing working and caregiving.

Connecting with other caregivers. Denise is
seated on the right and I am standing
behind her. This community is invaluable!

I was terrified before that first interview but have since relaxed during our talks.  Denise starts with updates about the activities happening on CareGiving.com and then we launch into our chat which is usually sprinkled with smiles, laughter and sometimes tears.  Denise describes her show as friends gathering around the table to chat with a cup of coffee.  Denise has other guests throughout the month and it is delightful to listen to these other caregivers tell their own stories of caregiving.

Denise and I talk about the challenges of working and caregiving and since these interviews are over the phone, I have talked to Denise from the hospital parking lot before visiting Robert in the hospital, a hospital hallway while waiting to talk to doctors or my home office (and occasionally, the backyard). 

And since they take place at 7:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) and are over the phone, I am grateful I can take the calls in my pajamas, sans make-up sometimes!

This month we discussed the challenges of caregiving with my cast as well as the video series I did in November about the impact epilepsy has had on Robert.

I invite you to join us the second Saturday of each month to listen live (there’s a chat room which allows you to participate and ask questions or comment during the show) or listen to the podcast whenever it is convenient.  The shows are fun and Denise asks such great questions that I always learn something new about myself or my situation during the shows. 

Sharing the caregiving experience is helpful to all caregivers and I hope to share this experience with you!

Thank you for listening (and reading). 

The most recent show can be heard here.   

Epilepsy Interview

Saturday morning there will be an interview about the interview!  Denise M. Brown of Caregiving.com will have me as her guest on her Table Talk radio program on Saturday, March 10 at 7:00 a.m. (PST).  We'll be talking about the interview Robert did about his seizures and epilepsy in general and why that was important for us to do. If you have more questions about epilepsy, log in to the "chat room" during the program to submit a question.  To listen to the program, please click here.  If you can't listen live, the podcast will be available shortly after the program finishes.  Hope to see you in the chat room!

Table Talk: Your Caregiving Journey

This morning I was interviewed by Denise Brown of caregiving.com on her weekly radio program, "Table Talk."  We talked about how my relationship with Robert has changed over the years, our recent experience at the JC Penney Hair Salon (always a great place for an epiphany!) and a surprise announcement from me about Robert's living situation (which I will tell more about in a different post).  You can listen to the program here.  Thank you, as always, for your support!