This is my personal blog where I will share my experiences as a caregiver, the experiences that my husband and I have shared as a couple since he returned from war with serious injuries, and the experiences that we have had with agencies as we’ve negotiated care for his personal and other needs.
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What seems like an eternity ago—2010—my husband was injured in Afghanistan. Life as we had known it changed in an instant… Overnight, my daily activities as a wife, graduate student, and teacher changed. I was suddenly thrust into the role of full-time caregiver for my husband. A wife and caregiver at the same time—whew! I was unprepared. I was confused, scared, overwhelmed. The road ahead…
I would like to introduce you to my husband Leonard, who I usually call Lenny. I met him while doing my laundry at a coin laundromat in Atlanta in 2000— imagine that?! We were both doing our laundry. On this Sunday afternoon, I walked past him toward the dryer section, with my 7-year old niece on my heels. Lenny stops me and says “Hey,…
Sunday, July 4, 2010. 4:30 pm. I receive an email from a friend addressed to me. “I’m looking for a home for my 3.5 year, trained Lhasa Apso. Thought you may want to consider taking him. This friend was the Education Specialist at the Soldier Family Assistance Center (SFAC) at Ft. Stewart and had been helping Lenny and me transition after his Afghanistan tour. What…
It was 6:00 on a Saturday evening. The phone rang. My husband was on the other end. He excitedly said, “Honey I made sergeant!” Wow, I thought…such great news! He went on…”and my new unit is deploying to Afghanistan.” I felt my eyebrows rise on their own; I wondered what in the world did that mean?? After all, since our marriage in 2000, my husband…