Richard
asked
Cynthia Hamilton:
Hi Cynthia enjoyed your book and it was a great read as I pictured the paths you took. I've been there as my wife walked this curvy road as a care giver. So my question is would you have done anything different and how was Guy during this whole time?
Cynthia Hamilton
Hi Richard,
Thank you for reading Once Upon a Lyme, and thank you for your question. Looking back on that period in my life, I marvel at how hard I pushed myself. I didn't have a choice with a lot of the stuff going on in my life - the mortgage company, the vacation rentals, dividing our time between two homes - but I know I adhered to rigid standards that I felt I had to maintain in order to not cave in to the disease. From this distance, I think my childhood may have shaped the deep need to control my world. I'm physically at a much better stage right now, and I sense a change in how I react to everything. I imagine that if Lyme revs up again, I'll be better at letting the little stuff slide. And I'm hoping with this new improved attitude that I will be able to hang on to my health better. :-) So to answer the question about doing something different, I would let go of the superfluous stuff and take better care of myself. For sure!
As for Guy, he vacillated between worrying and cracking the whip. We work so well as a team in all our endeavors, so it was as natural for him to expect a lot out of me as it was for me to push myself. If I whined more, I'm sure it would've been more apparent how much pain I was in. It was only when I couldn't keep up the pretense of being okay that he would really worry, like when I'd get out of bed and fall to the floor, or when my head felt like it was going to explode. Those times were really rough on Guy. I imagine it's a terrible feeling to watch someone suffer and not be able to do anything to make it better. But Guy's my rock. We've been together for 37 years now. I feel very fortunate to have him in my life.
I admire your wife for being a caregiver. They are truly special people. I hope whoever she was caring for is doing better now.
Thank you again for your questions!
Warmest regards,
Cynthia
Thank you for reading Once Upon a Lyme, and thank you for your question. Looking back on that period in my life, I marvel at how hard I pushed myself. I didn't have a choice with a lot of the stuff going on in my life - the mortgage company, the vacation rentals, dividing our time between two homes - but I know I adhered to rigid standards that I felt I had to maintain in order to not cave in to the disease. From this distance, I think my childhood may have shaped the deep need to control my world. I'm physically at a much better stage right now, and I sense a change in how I react to everything. I imagine that if Lyme revs up again, I'll be better at letting the little stuff slide. And I'm hoping with this new improved attitude that I will be able to hang on to my health better. :-) So to answer the question about doing something different, I would let go of the superfluous stuff and take better care of myself. For sure!
As for Guy, he vacillated between worrying and cracking the whip. We work so well as a team in all our endeavors, so it was as natural for him to expect a lot out of me as it was for me to push myself. If I whined more, I'm sure it would've been more apparent how much pain I was in. It was only when I couldn't keep up the pretense of being okay that he would really worry, like when I'd get out of bed and fall to the floor, or when my head felt like it was going to explode. Those times were really rough on Guy. I imagine it's a terrible feeling to watch someone suffer and not be able to do anything to make it better. But Guy's my rock. We've been together for 37 years now. I feel very fortunate to have him in my life.
I admire your wife for being a caregiver. They are truly special people. I hope whoever she was caring for is doing better now.
Thank you again for your questions!
Warmest regards,
Cynthia
Cynthia Hamilton
Hi Richard,
Thank you for reading Once Upon a Lyme, and thank you for your question. Looking back on that period in my life, I marvel at how hard I pushed myself. I didn't have a choice with a lot of the stuff going on in my life - the mortgage company, the vacation rentals, dividing our time between two homes - but I know I adhered to rigid standards that I felt I had to maintain in order to not cave in to the disease. From this distance, I think my childhood may have shaped the deep need to control my world. I'm physically at a much better stage right now, and I sense a change in how I react to everything. I imagine that if Lyme revs up again, I'll be better at letting the little stuff slide. And I'm hoping with this new improved attitude that I will be able to hang on to my health better. :-) So to answer the question about doing something different, I would let go of the superfluous stuff and take better care of myself. For sure!
As for Guy, he vacillated between worrying and cracking the whip. We work so well as a team in all our endeavors, so it was as natural for him to expect a lot out of me as it was for me to push myself. If I whined more, I'm sure it would've been more apparent how much pain I was in. It was only when I couldn't keep up the pretense of being okay that he would really worry, like when I'd get out of bed and fall to the floor, or when my head felt like it was going to explode. Those times were really rough on Guy. I imagine it's a terrible feeling to watch someone suffer and not be able to do anything to make it better. But Guy's my rock. We've been together for 37 years now. I feel very fortunate to have him in my life.
I admire your wife for being a caregiver. They are truly special people. I hope whoever she was caring for is doing better now.
Thank you again for your questions!
Warmest regards,
Cynthia
Thank you for reading Once Upon a Lyme, and thank you for your question. Looking back on that period in my life, I marvel at how hard I pushed myself. I didn't have a choice with a lot of the stuff going on in my life - the mortgage company, the vacation rentals, dividing our time between two homes - but I know I adhered to rigid standards that I felt I had to maintain in order to not cave in to the disease. From this distance, I think my childhood may have shaped the deep need to control my world. I'm physically at a much better stage right now, and I sense a change in how I react to everything. I imagine that if Lyme revs up again, I'll be better at letting the little stuff slide. And I'm hoping with this new improved attitude that I will be able to hang on to my health better. :-) So to answer the question about doing something different, I would let go of the superfluous stuff and take better care of myself. For sure!
As for Guy, he vacillated between worrying and cracking the whip. We work so well as a team in all our endeavors, so it was as natural for him to expect a lot out of me as it was for me to push myself. If I whined more, I'm sure it would've been more apparent how much pain I was in. It was only when I couldn't keep up the pretense of being okay that he would really worry, like when I'd get out of bed and fall to the floor, or when my head felt like it was going to explode. Those times were really rough on Guy. I imagine it's a terrible feeling to watch someone suffer and not be able to do anything to make it better. But Guy's my rock. We've been together for 37 years now. I feel very fortunate to have him in my life.
I admire your wife for being a caregiver. They are truly special people. I hope whoever she was caring for is doing better now.
Thank you again for your questions!
Warmest regards,
Cynthia
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