I recently enrolled in an on-line course through one of our larger PD organizations that was advertised as being just for CarePartners. I was excited because they so seldom do things just for us, their work is typically focused on the Person with the disease, not those caring for them. Finally, someone was recognizing the need for training on how we can better care for ourselves and live healthier lives as a CarePartner.

I knew that the classes were going to be time consuming, I didn’t realize that much of that time would be spent covering the basics about dealing with the symptoms of PD. It turned out to be so much more about how I should be caring for my husband rather than tips on how I should be caring for me. I made it through three sessions before realizing that the material being presented wasn’t new or really helpful. I reached out to the training team to share my concerns and their response was, if this isn’t a good fit for you perhaps you should quit. So I did.

My life as a CarePartner keeps me busy whether it is caring for my husband or our house. It was a challenge finding the time to add the classes so from that aspect it has been a relief to quit. I am disappointed about the content and yet this experience has taught me another lesson. It’s okay to stop doing those things that do not my life easier or better. No, beyond okay, it’s important that I recognize and quit doing things that add more stress without adding benefit. I’m not being a quitter, I’m being self-aware and that is an essential skill if I am going to take good care of my husband and, oh yes, me.