Stories from Caregivers: Kristi from TEXAS
TX
Kristi
FROM TEXAS
My mother started to get sick while I was in the middle school. I had learned to grow up and be responsible at an early age. I don't regret it to this day. It has made me into the strong woman I am today. My mother still went to work and did what she needed to do. Some days was harder than others but we still managed to get by. She had several auto immune issues. As time went on they got worse. The multiple hospital stays and in and out of rehabs was hard. She still pressed on. It was in 2008 she had to do early retirement due to the sickness. So from 2008-March 2012 when she passed I worked multiple jobs as well as my full time job to make sure she didn't have to worry. Then it came to the point I had to make a decision to quit my full time job and be there to help my mother. So many thought I was crazy and I had to do what I had to do. Jobs will come and go but you only have 1 mother. It killed me the day I had to realize that she would have to be put in a nursing home. I couldn't continue to give her the proper care she needed. She was ok with going there she knew I did all I could do. So I basically moved into the nursing home with her with an air mattress. I was ever so grateful that God allowed me to have this time with her. It was something that I will never forget. It still hurts on mother's day as well as her birthday and our special days.
