I remember, several years ago "defending" myself from a few caregivers who thought that I should not say I was mom's caregiver, since I lived so far away. Their tone was less than complimentary accusing me of not physically caring for my mother each day. Their voices stated how could I speak about being mom's caregiver, what could I possibly know. They had the burden of living with their parent and taking care of them with what seemed to be a shift of twenty four hours a day.
At first I felt hurt. How could they think that the pain of seeing a parent disappear was any different than what they were feeling? I wondered if I was any less of a daughter to my mother because I did not live near her. Did I not feel the same amount of pain or maybe more? What difference did it make? I was and am my mother's daughter, and that will never change no matter how many miles or oceans separate us.
My heart breaks, my eyes fill and swell with tears the same as theirs. My feelings of affection are as deep and I tremble every time my mom forgets my name.
I do have great compassion for them and I could feel and share their pain! Yes I did not live with my mother so maybe my long distance care giving was easier, yet I too, had the agony of hearing and seeing my mother disappear in front of my very eyes. One moment she knew me, and then while still on the same phone call she had no idea who I was or who she was speaking to.
I spoke to mom's caregivers every single day to hear all about mom's conditions. Sometimes mom had a moment of clarity and at other times she was going by ambulance to the emergency room after the aides found her bruised or with a UTI (urinary tract infection) which had mom hallucinating. I heard about how mom loved to listen to the CD'S that I made of her favorite show tunes. I questioned what she ate, if she took her vitamins and what were the plans for the day.
There were times when I was so frightened and hurt since I was not able to just jump in my car and rush to take care of her. Once, when she was in the hospital in rehab I spoke to the physical therapist who told me that my mother was not following instructions. My answer was "how could mom possibly remember what you just said since she has Alzheimer's." Hearing the response "oh I didn't know she had dementia" was upsetting since hospitals are not required to list the disease on the patients chart.
I once received a phone call from the First Response that mom's neighbors reported her "just sitting" outside her apartment on the curb. Her caregiver left for the day and because of confusion mom went to sit outside to wait for her. You would think that one of her neighbors would have just brought her back into her home. Maybe they were frightened or afraid of "catching" Alzheimer's. After all these years of knowing her how could they now just shun her like this?
So with deep thought my question is, am I any less of a daughter than the others since I am a long distance caregiver? Or do I feel less pain or love my mother any less? Thankfully for me I do have the answer. My love for her is as deep as the bottom of the sea and as vivid and bright as all the stars that light up the universe. She is my mother and I am always her daughter.
MY MOM MY HERO book is dedicated to the people we love.
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