I Took Care of Everyone Else and Ignored My Own Health

As I started being a full-time caregiver, working a full-time job, and going to school full-time, there was one thing I didn’t do, take care of my health.

With everything going on, I kept putting myself last. I thought I could handle it, and I didn’t really think anything was wrong.

At the beginning of the year, I started getting sick. I had a cough that wouldn’t go away. I was wheezing and having shortness of breath to the point where I had to use my breathing machine more often. I kept thinking it would go away, or that I just needed antibiotics.

But it didn’t go away.

I ended up going to the ER at the end of the month. At first, I didn’t think much of it. When I got checked in, they started asking me questions like if I knew where I was. That caught me off guard. After that, I went back to the waiting room and got called in about 30 minutes later, even though there were people there before me. That’s when I knew something wasn’t right.

They ran a lot of tests, especially an EKG. I still didn’t know what was going on. Then they told me my blood pressure was very high, to the point where I was at high risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.

They also found fluid buildup around my heart, and that my heart wasn’t functioning properly.

This whole time, I thought it was just a cough.

I ended up getting admitted into the hospital. Over the next two days, they ran more tests. That’s when I found out I had sleep apnea, heart disease, edema, and Type 2 diabetes. On top of that, I also had a virus, which is why my cough wouldn’t go away.

After I was discharged, I followed up with a cardiologist. That’s when I found out I had coronary artery disease.

Before all of this, I used to be active. I watched what I ate and stayed on top of my doctor visits. But when my mom got diagnosed with dementia, it hit me hard. I slowly stopped taking care of myself and started focusing only on taking care of others.

I had family and friends tell me to take care of myself, but I didn’t listen. I thought I could push through it.

It wasn’t until I ended up in the hospital, not once but twice, that I realized something had to change.

Now, I have to take medications for my diabetes, heart disease, and artery disease. Before all of this, I wasn’t taking any medication. That alone showed me how much things had changed.

What I’m trying to say is, don’t ignore your health. Go to the doctor. Get checked. Pay attention to your body.

As caregivers, we get so used to taking care of others that we forget about ourselves. But what good are we if we can’t take care of ourselves?

I had to ask myself, if something happened to me, who would take care of my mom?

That really opened my eyes.

I was also going through a deep depression, and that didn’t help either. But now, I’ve been taking steps to take care of myself. I’ve been praying, meditating, and making sure I get rest.

I’ve actually been sleeping and allowing my body to recover.

I also had to make a hard decision and quit my job. My mom’s dementia was getting worse, and my health was declining. Having that extra income helped a lot, but things changed.

Even though I still have income from caregiving, we’ve been able to manage and stay on top of our bills.

More importantly, I’ve been able to focus on my health and take better care of myself while still being there for my mom.

It’s not easy, but I’m doing better now.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this, always take care of yourself, mentally and physically.

There are people who love you and care about you.

And your health matters too.