I love being a member of our local support group because everyone brings something different to the table. One member of our group is an expert on medications and I have learned a lot from her regarding what my husband should and shouldn’t be taking. Another member has a good knowledge of research opportunities, we can all make use of that information. It was members of our support group who first introduced us to the Rock Steady Program and helped us get connected with a local gym.

I remember one conversation about socks. They are a constant challenge at our house. We have purchased 2 new packs only to end up sending them to Goodwill because my husband couldn’t get them on by himself. When I mentioned this problem at a meeting, several people agreed that it is tough and a couple had practical ideas including one where we use the plastic tube that comes with our daily newspaper to feed the sock on to his foot. Once the sock is on, you slip the tube back off and he is set. I am still trying to convince him to give it a try, but I suspect it would work like a charm!

Then, there are the conversations that help me better understand my role. I love hearing others talk about the difficulties of being a CarePartner and sharing skills they use to take care of themselves. I learned from the group that it is okay to feel anger and frustration as we talked about practical ways to relieve those feelings through walking, writing or yoga. One thing that I learned is that no matter how upset I get I must always remember that it is the disease at fault, not my husband. Separating my partner from the illness gives me the perspective to continue this journey in love and understanding.