A Caregivers Reality

Many people don't understand the challenges, lifestyle changes, obstacles and sometimes even stress that occur with becoming a caregiver. Being a caregiver is something that can happen over a period of time and/or suddenly. For me, becoming a caregiver happened suddenly, and at a very young age. I was a senior undergraduate student studying to become an occupational therapist. During the internship level of my studies, I received a call that everyone dreads to hear. "What are you doing? Where are you? Who are you with?" Becoming frantic, I asked, "what is going on?" "Your mom has had a stroke." Immediately I am hoping and praying it's a mild stroke that could be reversed if she was cared for in the first two hours of the stroke attack. Unfortunately, my story and experience was far from minor. Not knowing the severity of the stroke, I immediately had family members drive me three hours to the hospital. Once we arrived; I found out my mom had a massive stroke, and as a result of her blood pressure being extremely high, she was not a candidate for the reversal medication that was essential for reversing the acute side effects of the stroke. At this time I was a nervous wreck. The doctors said there wasn't anything they could do, and it was only a matter of time before we lose her. However, the grace of God saved my mother's life by reminding me of a procedure that was done on a patient that I worked with during my first rotation internship. My mother had a craniotomy surgical procedure to allow room for swelling of the brain. She underwent surgery three times one of which she experienced complications. After she recovered and was released from critical care receiving intensive inpatient rehabilitation was the first step to regaining the ability to perform daily activities. My mother's rehabilitation process was very intense and stressful on her as a result of the side effects of the stroke and on the family who was trying to make sense of it all.