Loved Ones who support someone with MS Community Group
This group is meant for those who help someone with MS. This would include family, good friends, spouses and caregivers. It is a place to exchange good ideas that may help us in caring for those we love that have this disease.
My caregiver is my husband of 30 years. We get along great, have the most wonderful friendship, and he really does well with taking care of me. My only complaint is that he doesn't take me out all that much. Daily he runs little errands to the store, the hardware store, the post office, somewhere for a quick trip. I would like to go just to get out of looking at the 4 walls of my home for a change. I would like to go to the beauty store to look at nail polish or just browse a mall once in a while and he doesn't ever feel lilke doing this because he taxi's me around to doctor appointments enough. He tells me that I'm too slow and I hold him up on his excursions and therefore won't take me. He says he would never get anything done around the house if he was always taking me places. But I wanna go! Am I being a spoiled brat or is it really too much to ask of him to always take me someplace or with him when he runs these quick errands? Honesty please give it to me.
Ask if he could take you out TWICE a week when he has to get groceries or something else that takes a while. He could let you off at the door and park, while he is doing this you could go in & get a mobile chair (usually by entrance). Then you could look at the beauty/book aisle while he gets food. Then if he knows it always takes him at least 25 mins to get food, you could meet him at the front entrance in 20 mins.
If he has other errands such as the post office which is quick you will stay in the car. So you are not expecting to get out at every stop. If he wavers you could then say well how about just ONCE a week. Another concession that might tip the scale in favor of getting out.
Another question: Are there any groups in your area that meet up to do things e.g. The Red Hat Society that are made up of mature women that go on outings that you might be able to attend just to have coffee with other women your age? http://www.redhatsociety.com/aboutus/index.html
Sometimes churches have extra stuff they do for the community ie adult literacy programs or mentoring kids. If you are willing to teach someone to read maybe they would be willing to have someone pick you up and drop you back off.
Best of luck getting out and about,
EP
Thank you for your many suggestions. Sometimes I get to close to my own situation that I cannot seem to see the trees through the forest!
No matter what, I wish you all the best,
EP
Now I have to figure out the rest of the suggestions I received. I would like to go to an Alanon meeting, so that wilol be my next thing to tackle. He said he would take me, I just have to find the meeting and plan to go,. The onis (sp?) is on me.