I’m sure many of you have experienced a similar dilemma and hopefully will have some advice for me.
My wife had a stroke in May of ’22 and a subsequent unrelated brain bleed in April of ’24. I’ve been her only carer throughout these challenges and as you might expect, the experience has not been easy for either of us.
She’s gone through some serious behavioral changes: anger, denial, paranoia, memory loss-the list goes on and on and there’s no need to elaborate. These are issues over which she has no control and I accept them as such.
My problem is me. As time goes by, my patience is strained and my temper is more easily triggered. This leads to arguments which upset us both and I feel terribly guilty, but the more we are together, the more I find myself reacting badly to her when she flies into a rage or is aggressive and demanding.
We spend virtually all our time together-I manage an occasional trip to the gym and a couple hours each morning before she wakes (she’s a night owl-We’re up until the wee hours every night and she gets upset if I don’t keep her company).
I think I need some help, but don’t know where to seek it and don’t want her to think I’m ‘passing her off’ to others. There are no close friends who can help so I’m pretty much on my own.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
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