Hi everyone,
How many of you are experiencing burnout due to being the caretaker of a relative? Not only is my mother Diabetic( without my intervention, she cannot control her DIABETES at all…I’m talking about her sugar was in the 400’s and sh*t- TILL i had to have a mental breakdown and then she agreed to taking insulin), she also was recently diagnosed with a severe case of Osteoporosis)- only 60 years of age. She’s had it for a good 10 years and none of her doctors ran a bone density exam till recently. I’ was in the process of applying to Graduate school ( BioPhysics baby) till her health became worse…and since then, I took up the responsibility to do everything in my power to bring her back to good health.
I had to take a break with applying to graduate school and to just focus on her for a while.
But truth is, this is all very mentally exhausting. There are days when she is extremely stubborn and days when she is not. For example, the first few weeks she was on Insulin…she gained 3 lbs…however, she seems to be losing weight again due to her being very picky with what she eats. She lost 30 lbs from uncontrolled glucose levels.
I need help with a couple of things…
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Any tips on quick weight gain?
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how many carbs should she eat per meal to gain weight?
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she is 5’1 and 100 lbs…looks as though she weighs 90 lbs, really
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I thought of protein shakes…but I hear they’re very bad for the kidneys?
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i make her an omelette of 2 eggs daily…bad- good?
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she isn’t a fan of water or milk.
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safe snacks/fruits etc?
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My fellow caretakers, how do you de- stress? I used to solve math puzzles for fun…that has gone out the window.
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I am so very tired. Time to time, she ends up acting like a stubborn TEENAGER! ( won’t eat this or that). what to do do…from taking her to appointments, to being her 3rd eye 24/7, what to eat/not eat etc…when to eat…etc…she has also been exhibiting early signs of memory loss…I’m practically doing everything at this point. I wish things were easier. I should be sleeping but I’m not because, I always check her sugar around 4:30 am.
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I love my mother more than anything…the sacrifices she has done for me…I can write a book on them…however, is it wrong of me to feel that I’m missing out on life…due to her being sick? Ah. She’s so awesome, it hurts.
Lastly, thank you all very much for all of your help. Diabetes is absolutely evil and if there is a perfect candidate for the cause of SLEEP DEPRIVATION, D wins!