i was at one of my support groups yesterday and there were a few new people there. they have recently been faced with the diagnosis of AD. they have so many questions and fears. i can remember all too well how i felt the first few times i attended support groups. i was afraid to admit some things, petrified of what was facing me and such an emotional wreck. it seemed i would cry at least a few times each time i went.
seeing the new people yesterday and hearing all their questions and concerns made me remember all those feelings. i remember how i found advice from those others in the group early on, how their LO's seemed so much further down the road than russ.
it has been well over a year since i started going to the support groups. russ has shown such a decline in the past year. i now realize that russ is on about the same level or worse as some of those other AD people that were much further along than he. but even more i realize that "I" have become one of the people that the newer members come to for suggestions and advice.
i still have alot of those feelings of fear in what lies ahead of us yet i also have a better idea of what to expect. and i now know that i am not alone. besides the support groups i have found a new set of friends who i can talk to daily who are with me every step of the way. what a blessing you all are!
6 comments:
Well I can certainly understand why people would come to you for advice. You are always so comforting and reassuring. You always bring me peace.
aww shucks (lol), thanks lori, i feel the same way about you!
Have I ever told you that that photo of you and Russ is just beautiful? I don't think I have and I just wanted to say it because it makes me smile every time I come onto your blog. Your both beautiful.
I attended a support group for a while but it was discontinued and the attendees were invited to another one. The new one met at the wrong time for me and was too far.
But even back then I was usually the longest tenured caregiver.
Mostly people would be reluctant to talk until they got started. And then it was a flood of emotion expressed in words.
A few times people actually wanted advice but mostly they just wanted to vent. So I mostly listened. People always told me how much they appreciated my input. And I really didn't give any - just listened.
A lot of the problems just don't offer very good solutions anyway. But no one really wants to hear that. It is comforting somehow to realize that others have survived something.
I find it interesting how several us have such similar things going on right now and how we have connected.
stef, thanks for your complement. it was taken on our birthdays - russ' 80th, and my 51st. i love all your pictures, you have a real talent.
flinty, i know what you mean about some things offer no solutions but it feels good to vent about them. you are right, i feel very connected to several people and feel blessed to have met all of you.
I've never attended a support group in person, but the board and you all through these blogs have become a lifeline for me. It really is comforting to know I'm not alone.
I know what you mean about the experience level. When a newbie signs on the board and has that sound of desperation in their posts, I reflect on how I felt in the beginning and how much I have learned along the way. This truly is a life altering journey.
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