The stress kept building until Anne was admitted to the hospital for a week.

Transcript

I went through many years, and it was really hard and very stressful on me, and I hit a point where they thought I had a heart attack, but I didn’t; I really had a stress break, a breakdown or a stress whatever. I ended up in the ICU unit for coronary care because they thought…and when they started talking to me, they realized that it was pure stress that had done that to me, and they made me stay in for a week, which was great because I just slept for a whole week. It was really nice. Isn’t that terrible? That you have to get to that point to take a break? And then after that, I started looking at it more, meditating, trying to figure out ways more to deal with things because it had been just too stressful for many, many years.

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• When care changes over time – Anne
  Recently, Anne’s husband can barely make it into his wheelchair on his own. She is worried about what will come next.
• Uncovering how and why caregivers care – Anne
  Anne feels that she would not be able to live with herself, if her husband was in a facility.
• The future and caregiving – Anne
  Anne is worried about the day her husband can’t get into his wheelchair, but says, “What will happen will happen, there is nothing I can do about it.”
• Support from family and friends – Anne
  It was a real shock for Anne that her husband’s family disappeared.
• Interaction with professionals – Anne
  Anne is frustrated with the lack of care her husband receives, and no longer accompanies him to see the doctor.
• Impact on health – Anne
  The stress kept building until Anne was admitted to the hospital for a week.
• Caring for yourself – Anne
  Anne finds that reading certain books help her manage how she feels.
• Advice for professionals and society – Anne
  Healthcare professionals should talk to caregivers and remind them that they need to take breaks. Anne ended up in the hospital after breaking down due to stress.
• Advice for professionals and society – Anne
  Healthcare professionals should talk to caregivers and remind them that they need to take breaks. Anne ended up in the hospital after breaking down due to stress.
• Adapting to new roles and key issues for spouses – Anne
  Anne feels she has lost her marriage. “When somebody’s chronically ill, they don’t have the energy or the patience.”