[MotheringMother]

Hello,
I'm MotheringMother (web name) otherwise I go by Carol.

I was my mother's caregiver for about 19 years--she had Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The last three years, she lived with my husband, our children, and me--and we learned how to live with these diseases (and eachother) the best we could.

I now speak to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and caregiving groups and have been featured on CNN and Fox and other cool places. My message is that of hope--that caregiving doesn't have to kill you, although it may seem like it will. I use humor, sarcasm, wit, honesty, and inspiration to combat what these diseases do to a caregiver and the ones they love so much.

My mother was a handfull. She was ornery, funny, and sometimes downright cantankerous--but we bungled our way through it--which is something I suggest to those I share my story with. It's not easy, and you won't do it all right--love and accept yourself and your situation "as is" and go from there.

I'm fascinated with psychology and neuro-based studies and people--and I guess that's why I'm here. I"m here to listen, and hopefully offer a few words of encouragement if something strikes a chord.

It's nice to meet everyone. And if you can't tell by my grammar or word choices, I'm Southern--as in US Southern. It makes us talk funny.

~Carol D. O'Dell