Bob - I read your message to Susan on the List and sometimes, there is a
word or two that makes me sit up and take notice - and yours did. We get
so wrapped up in ourselves and sit on the pity pot a great deal, then
read where "someone out there" is much worse off than we are.  Thank you
for wisdom of pearls.  I hope your wife will get better each day. Just
tell her you love her several times a day and tell her she is getting
better.  I have just added the two of you to my prayer list. Jo Ann from
Houston
On Sun, 19 Dec 1999 10:07:43 CST bob armentrout <[log in to unmask]>
writes:
>susan, i kept your letter until now, things have been rather busy in
>my
>life. I misssed how long your husband had been diagnosed, but i am
>assuming
>its fairly new, and you both are going to have some big adjustments. I
>wish
>i had some profound words of wisdom to offer you, but i really don't.
>This
>list can offer a lot of help, and a little aggrivation, so stay with
>it.
>Some of the best advice I have gotten off of it - you can cry in the
>shower,
>and no one can see the tears. Laugh as much as possible, and spend
>time
>doing things you enjoy. Take care of yourself, it's easy to get so
>wrapped
>up in your role as care giver that you ignore your own pain, and that
>will
>eventually catch up to you. There is a good book out, "Living with a
>chronically ill spouse" that you might look for. It covers pretty well
>everything, her husband was dying of ms, not pd, but it hit close to
>home in
>my house.  Finally, always try to find faith, it will help when
>nothing else
>does.
>For your info, i was diagnosed with pd, and then with ms ( it's not
>pd)a
>year later. my wife and i were in a bad car wreck in early oct, she is
>just
>now out of icu, and still may not make it. so i have gotten a good
>dose of
>both sides of the care giver issue. in my opinion, being sick is the
>easy
>side, you at least can tell yourself, well she will be ok if....
>hope this helps
>bob aka tex
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