Hi Sarah, Welcome to our group. You should give yourself a "Pat on the back" for helping with your grand parents ! I admire you, alot of young people your age would not be as generous with their time. Caregiving is the hardest job I have ever done my friend. I love my husband ( he suffered a massive stroke in 2011 ) but I never knew how draining and depressing this would become.

My advice to you is relish your time off, pamper yourself, go out with your friends and feel young again. When you return tell yourself your grandparents will know and feel your loving care and touch before they pass away. I'm a grandmother and if someday my granddaughters are caring for me, even if I don't say it, I'll carry in my heart a very special grateful love.

I'm glad you found this group. Please let us hear from you. Hang in there !

Many hugs, Gwen :-)

Thanks Gwen! I usually spend one day with my best friend from high school and that helps a lot. I didn't really keep in touch with many people from high school because i moved to Charleston shortly after I graduated. I don't have a car right now, but my dad's wife is getting her car fixed soon and she said that i will be able to use it on my days off. That will definitely be a life saver. I have a boyfriend in Charleston. He is my strength right now. I will try to keep hanging in there.

Hi Sarah,

I know exactly how you feel, but instead of being young like you, I am 58 years old and have been caring for my husband for the last 17 years. I have missed out on so much over the years, and for many years I was happy for friends who were traveling, going to shows, trips, cruises, events, while I spent friday nights and weekends watching reruns of Gunsmoke, Big Valley, and Rawhide (shows you have probably never heard of). Now I am angry that all the great years when I was younger are gone. I resent my husband, I am angry that I am unable to live a "normal life". yes, I am stil young compared to others, but now I have my own set of health issues. I don't know what to offer you in advice, except to say that I would set some limits on how long you care for your aging grandparents. There has to be some resources or others you can do this at some point. You are not married to your grandparents and I admire you for your dedication, but to expect you to be the sole caregiver is a lot. I hope you can work thru this.

Hi Sarah, I am glad to read your post. I'm not quite in the same boat as you, but I am 26 and not taking care of a spouse. Instead, I'm taking care of my best friend. She has an undiagnosed chronic illness that keeps her in bed most days. This has also led to her gaining a lot of weight and becoming incredibly depressed. She needs me everyday to take care of the house and the pets and to make food, as well as for emotional support. The bottom line is, we never go out except on occasional errands (just the two of us) and we really have no friends in the area. Basically zero social life. I definitely relate to your isolation, and your need to limit contact with friends on Facebook. I hardly talk to old friends anymore, mainly because I don't think they would understand my situation. And it's incredibly frustrating doing all these extra chores for someone, often at odd times of the day or night and in conflict with your own schedule. My friend also suffers from insomnia, which means she often needs me in the middle of the night when all I want to do is SLEEP.
I feel for you and wish you the best.