Shoshana disagreed with the diagnosis her husbands’ physician had given him, but later found out why the doctor had been cautious about being straightforward.
Written testimony
The doctor we dealt with when my husband was first diagnosed, he gave my husband a name of [a diagnosis called neuritis] that he could say he had, and I felt that he was wrong. And I confronted the doctor, and the doctor said “I can’t go into it with you without him.” And I was concerned that it was something worse than what he was describing as an illness. So, he said “Then, I have to meet with both of you.” So, he told us that he believed it was MS, and the reason why he didn’t tell my husband that was because of what he thought his reaction would be. And he was right. It’s almost an instant reaction. He’s going to go downhill quickly. He’s been diagnosed with this chronic illness and it’s going to affect a lot of things. And he was like that. When he got a cold, it was the MS. When he got a sore toe, it was the MS. It was all blamed on the illness no matter what it was, even though it wasn’t related to the illness. So, I understood that part of it. That was just his regular doctor.
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- Interaction with professionals -ShoshanaShoshana disagreed with the diagnosis her husbands’ physician had given him, but later found out why the doctor had been cautious about being straightforward.
- Interaction with professionals -ShoshanaShoshana disagreed with the diagnosis her husbands’ physician had given him, but later found out why the doctor had been cautious about being straightforward.
- Resources -ShoshanaShoshana has maintained friendships with two other women who attended the support group.
- Effects of care recipients’ behaviour -ShoshanaShoshana’s husband has some behavioural issues and can be critical of her in public.
- Support from family and friends -ShoshanaThe support from Shoshana’s family-in-law was very poor, but she did receive great support from her sister.
- Social impact and lifestyle changes -ShoshanaShoshana is nervous about pursuing new friendships because her husband’s temperament has changed with his condition. She is worried about how others will perceive him.
- Providing support -ShoshanaFor Shoshana, caregiving is more about being a memory bank and a daily calendar.
- Legal issues -ShoshanaAfter her husband was mentally incapacitated, Shoshana wondered who could make decisions about her healthcare, should the need arise.
- Impact on health -ShoshanaShoshana advises anybody with suicidal thoughts to find a source of help.
- Advice for friends and family -ShoshanaShoshana suggests that for social events, people should always invite both the caregiver and care recipient; let them decide whether or not they are able to participate.