Are you caring for a loved one? Read this.

My friend wrote an important blog message of support and caring for all those caregivers out there. I told him I would share it because...well...it needs to be said and heard by those who care well.

Thank God for the caregivers that we get. Hopefully, all patients are as fortunate as I am, to have someone who is tolerant of their mood swings, their indecisiveness, their sometimes unusual demands and the general pain in the asses that we can be.They are inflicted with the pain of watching a loved one go through something like this in addition to the unexpected pressures placed on them to become full time nannies.In many ways, their lives become as upside down as the patients'.They want to let you have it at times (and deservedly so) but they will defer to you, keeping their frustration bottled up inside.We are given a free pass often, out of sympathy I guess.I try my best to take care of my own needs whenever I can, but she knows when to pick up the slack.A symbiotic relationship develops in which the patient tries to alleviate some of this pressure on them and the caregiver knows when they should back off and when they need to jump in with both feet to offer physical and emotional support.If you can't make this happen, misery will prevail on both sides.If you do make it happen, it is a beautiful thing to behold. The condition of the patient causes this to be an extremely liquid process.Some days they are in good shape and require little attention but some days due to the drugs or the psychology of their situation, they require as much attention as a newborn.The tightrope that the caregiver walks must surely wear them out. I think there should be some kind of sick day/vacation day clause written into their unspoken contract.They need some time to get away from the circumstances and be able to breathe some cool clean air under a bright blue sky, far removed from their daily duties, while their batteries and brains recharge, getting ready for the next round.Looking at it from the other side, I think I'll stick with being the patient, it seems to be a much easier job.I have one of the best and although we are in the early stages of this ordeal, I know that she will be there till the end no matter what the result is.

Thanks, Doug.