Take Care - Part I
By Tom Quirk

Scituate - “Take Care” is sign-off term used by many of us in an email or phone call. It is a friendly comment to wish another good health and fortune, because you care for them and wish for good things to occur. A caregiver should take this to heart, because “only by caring for yourself, can you experience the fulfillment as well as the challenges of your commitment to care for another.”

The serious illness of a loved one is among the most difficult experiences that one can have. It can happen without warning and few are prepared; we believe that we can handle it alone. The National Family Caregivers Association estimates that over fifty million are tending to loved ones these days.

Humans have an innate survival instinct enabling us to face a sudden and unforeseen danger and to handle it quickly. This is a fast response to a crisis, not a coping mechanism for long-term stressful situations.

Modern medicine is advancing by the hour, but despite the knowledge and skills of researchers and practitioners, there are many unknowns and no way to predict the course and duration of a specific recovery.

When a desperately ill loved one requires a great deal of care and attention, we tend to believe it selfish to rest, relax and take care of ourselves. It most assuredly is not. We have all had cursory exams by tired physicians and experienced the short temper of an overworked nurse; the quality of care declines when the caregiver is tired and stressed. When rested, we can provide the care and attention that we desire to, and which the patient requires, to move more efficiently and effectively along the recovery path.

About The Author
For more information, you may contact Tom Quirk at (781) 545-2300 or via email at tfquirk@ aol.com. For more information on brain aneurysms, please visit the Brain Aneurysm Foundation’s web site at www.bafound.org.