Stories from Caregivers: Theresa from WEST VIRGINIA
WV
Theresa
FROM WEST VIRGINIA
I have taken care of my husband Larry who is 62 years old now off and on for the past 5 years. After open heart surgery in 2014 he ended up in a long term acute care facility with a tracheotomy for 5 months. While in that facility he ended up with a stage 4 decubitis wound on his tailbone area which ended up becoming septic several times. He was near to death several times. When he was finally extubated he was as weak as a baby and had suffered with foot drop on his left foot. He was finally placed into a nursing home for extensive physical therapy and spent over 11 months there the first time. He came home and I was taught to clean and dress his wound, and help him ambulate. Therapy came in a few days a week and he was able to get around with the help of his walker. Then he started having falls and ended up breaking his leg twice and his hip once. He did time in the nursing home several more times. When he was released the last time, it was under a waiver program which did provide things like a shower seat, a bedside commode and eventually a hoyer lift. He goes to dialysis 3 days per week for 4 hours. I work full time, and the program does provide a caregiver for the hours that I am at work and he is not at dialysis. There have been several times that the caregiver either did not show up or shows up late. I am thankful that not only do I have a very understanding employer, but there is also the protection of FMLA that I can call on if needed. It is a very hard job being a caregiver for your loved one and it is hard for me to trust or allow the help, even as I work. He gets weaker seems like by the minute and it is so hard to watch a person who was so full of life and such a hard worker deteriorate especially at such a young age. I have psoriatic arthritis and some days it is hard to put my feet on the floor and get out of the bed, but I will take care of him for as long as it is needed. We have been married for 35 years, and he has gone from my protector to someone who is as weak as a baby and who needs round the clock care. His mind is good, so he hates every minute of it, and worries about what it is doing to me and my health. I love him so much....
