James and Louise have been married for 40 years. Louise retired a few years before, but James had a slower go of transitioning into retirement. It took a lot for James to pass his business on to his beloved nephew and finally make the choice to fully retire. But, after all was signed and done, he handed over the keys and took a fresh, new breath outside of his shop. A new chapter had just begun, and Louise had their first celebration all planned out. Her creativity and zest always made her shine in his eyes. Their first vacation as retirees was a Southwest spa retreat and desert adventure. After arriving at the resort, Louise was tired and needed to rest. It was a long day of flights, so James understood well. The next day, they traveled to the couple’s massage she had booked for them. Louise winced in the passenger seat of the rental car. James asked if she was alright, to which she responded “Of course!” She explained it was some slight abdominal pain, but it was nothing the “R&R” ahead of them couldn’t help sort out. At the spa, however, Louise’s pain increased significantly and the massage was cut short. At the doctor, Louise described feeling regular cramping and an upset stomach for several weeks, but nothing this painful. Soon they learned Louise had developed ulcerative colitis and needed care.
As Louise adjusted to new medication and was coming through this flare-up, James took care of everything around the house. It was hard to be told to take it so easy, but Louise appreciated it and loved him all the more for it. James began to feel the toll of managing the house, caring for Louise as they figured out treatment, and acting as an occasional consultant to his nephew at the shop. He began to suffer from migraines and intense fatigue.
One Sunday, early in the afternoon, their neighbor Susan stopped by to check in and see how James was holding up. He told her how overwhelmed he’d been feeling, but also how guilty he felt about feeling overwhelmed in the first place. He wanted to take care of everything, to take care of his loving wife, but was realizing it may be too much to do alone. Then Susan shared her story about how her family had worked with a care manager to support her grandfather’s recovery after surgery.
“It was a huge relief to have professionals in our corner,” she said. “Your body is taking on effects of the stress you may feel.”
James agreed. “I want to spend more time enjoying retirement with Louise. It’s been hard enough for her. I definitely need help.”
It means so much to us to have heard James and Louise’s story, and even more to be able to work with them. With our services, James is able to focus more on his new chapter with his dear wife. Now that they have help with her routine doctors’ appointments, they both are planning their next trip: London!
If you are finding it difficult to manage care for a senior loved one with a new or existing illness, please know that you are not alone. We can help you through this process and offer the services that will best fit you. Please give us a call at 877-337-0922 or email us at cassandra@infinitycaremanagers.com”. We’ll be happy to assist!
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