An adult male holding a book under his arm has his arm around a senior female is held up by 4 giant hands

Caregivers: Aren’t They the Best?

How amazing are our caregivers? I think about this often. There are so many things that my husband does for me.

I ask for some help, and most are the little things that he does I didn't even ask for. He does some things that I might not even notice for a while until I go to do something and it is already done.

Thankful for my caregivers

I have many COPD and Alpha-1 friends whose spouses were taking care of them, and something happened to them, or they passed, and they had to learn how to do things on their own again and are heartbroken without them.

What would I do without him? I suppose I would learn how to, but I hope I never have to live without him. My heart couldn't survive, so I kept telling him he couldn't go before me.

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Of course, we tease each other, and he'll say, "heck no, I'm not sticking around that long." That is probably the best thing about our relationship is our humor. We make each other laugh all the time.

Dave always seems to know what I need before I do. He’s always doing small things I can do for myself, but he still does it for me. I told him, though, that I just needed to do some things myself.

I must keep moving and doing as much for myself as possible. If I don’t use it, I’ll lose it!

In the past, because of some of my meds and having osteoporosis, I have cracked my ribs, stretching to reach something and just scooting myself up in bed, so now he will ‌get down anything that I may need for the day that he knows I have to reach for.

He got me one of those reacher tong devices, but he still spoils me. He does so much for me, too much to even write about.

Having help all around me

My three kids and their spouses are very helpful as well. They are always there to lend a hand when needed. When I was first diagnosed, my oldest son was out on his own and working full time. It was my daughter's senior year in high school, and she stayed busy all year round with sports.

My biggest helper has been my youngest son, who was only ten years old when I was first diagnosed. I hate ‌he had to start at such a young age, but he is always there, wanting to help where he can. They all have supported me wholeheartedly, and I am thankful for them.

I often have my grandkids while their parents work, and they always want to lend a hand. Sometimes they fight over doing specific tasks for Nana. They love to give foot massages and hairdos as well.

That's always a plus. They are the sweetest!

I have had many other caregivers over the years. My friends, family, siblings, and even my dad (I sure ‌miss him).

Whenever I need an extra hand, someone is always there. I am very blessed to have the friends and family that I do. I hope you all have the same!

Please share with me about your special caregivers. I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The COPD.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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