I love my Mom but don't know where she has gone...

She really isn't missing.  In fact she is asleep in her room right now.  I just don't understand where her intellect and personality have gone.  She has diabetes and many conditions resultiing from the disease including dementia, high blood pressure, partial blindness, renal failure, etc.  The person I care for is no longer the Mother who cared for me, she is like a somewhat familiar stranger with annoying behaviors.  I think the most frightening thing about aging is the loss of cognative ability... or as my brother says, "The loss of your wits."

I am a stress eater!  It is not a pretty thing.  The more stressed I get the more I eat.  I need to STOP!   I haven't been running or cycling for over 6 weeks.  I have taken the path more traveled by people who are overweight, sick, depressed and tired and I need to get control! 

My brother lives next door and we have traveled this journey of caregiving together for the past four years.  Without working together on this, we would not have been able to help our mother remain in the home  that she loves.  This blog will be a look back at what we have done to manage the stress of caring for an elderly parent and a look forward at our committment to living a healthy life style.