• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Wandering Web Design

Web Designer | Wanderer | Storyteller

  • Home
  • About Us
  • About You
  • Blog
  • Project Inquiry
  • Shop
  • Start A Blog!
You are here: Home / Writing Challenges / Words Changed My Life – Secret Subject Swap

Words Changed My Life – Secret Subject Swap

August 9, 2019 By Rena McDaniel 5 Comments

Welcome to a Secret Subject Swap. This week 8 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts.

My “Secret Subject” is:

Tell us about a situation that seemed to have totally gotten out of hand – how did you solve it?

It was submitted by: https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/

As some of you know, I have spent the last 8 years as a full-time caregiver to my mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Unfortunately, I lost my mom on January 15th of this year. I miss her every single day, but I’m so happy that she is no longer in pain (she also had metastatic breast cancer).

In the very beginning of her diagnosis, we realized that she was no longer safe living on her own. My husband and I decided that it was time to move in with us. We thought it would be easy hahahahahaha! I don’t think any of us had ever been as unhappy as we were in the very beginning.

BELOW IS AN EXCERPT FROM MY VERY FIRST BLOG POST

When you are thrust into the job of caregiver without any warning or supervision you make mistakes…BIG ONES. Every day my mom would look at me and say, “I want to go home.” Every day I would walk into my room and cry.

Here I was taking on this job and wanting so bad to be great at it and seemed to be making everything so much worse. My heart was breaking. Those first three months I spent my time saying “No mom you can’t do that, mom you just said that, and mom you forgot again.” We were all miserable.

After the culmination of a terrible week, with me ending up in the hospital. Trying to make sure mom was being taken care of her, frozen water pipes. What else could go wrong? She hid the keys to our house and we spent three hours locked out of our home in the freezing cold.

We were finally able to get into our house and decided to carry on with the rest of our day.  We went to the grocery store and that would be the end of one of the worst time in our lives and there have been some doozies!

She got angry in the grocery, which I now know was just bad timing, frustration, confusion and well just being very scared on her part. We came home and my mother looked at me and screamed at me for the first time in my 44 years! Oh, did I mention this was also my birthday?

Well, I lost it, I’ll admit it.

That’s the whole point of this story.

We will ALL make mistakes. I said, “You cannot go home, you can’t even take care of yourself”! She ran to her room crying, I’m at the kitchen table crying and my husband who has silently watched this outburst slips outside with tears in his eyes. We were all miserable and going crazy.

I said, “You cannot go home, you can’t even take care of yourself”! She ran to her room crying, I’m at the kitchen table crying and my husband who has silently watched this outburst slips outside with tears in his eyes. We were all miserable and going crazy.

Well, about fifteen minutes later, she comes back into the kitchen and says in such a small voice “I’m so scared” with her tear stained face. I looked at her and said. “Momma, I’m scared too, but the only way to get through this is together. After that, we settled down and had a nice evening.

That night I went into my room with a heavy heart, my tablet, and sheer determination to find some answers. I found the Alzheimer’s Reading Room. I read an article about communication and the light switch went off for me. I realized I knew absolutely

I realized I knew absolutely NOTHING about what I was doing and the big one I WAS NOT ALL ALONE as I had thought. I read for hours. I decided that when I woke up things were going to change. First, I realized that I had been grieving so hard for all that she and I had been losing, that I had forgotten all the wonderful things she could still do.

First, I realized that I had been grieving so hard for all that she and I had been losing, that I had forgotten all the wonderful things she could still do.

That day changed my whole life. The next day I started writing & I haven’t stopped yet. That frustration & sadness I felt was the beginning of a whole new road. I began blogging in January of 2014. The writing soothed my soul, it snapped me out of the depression that had become my new normal, and it introduced me to a whole new community of women that I didn’t even know that I needed as desperately as the air I breathe.

Depression & isolation could have either sent me into a dizzying tailspin that would have ruined what time I had left with my mom, but the simple act of finding out I wasn’t alone introduced me to a whole new way of life. I became a blogger & finally a web designer and that I believe saved my life.

Don’t get me wrong the depression just didn’t disappear, but with the proper medication & the tools to recognize it and the platform to work through it was life-changing. Mom and I opened up our lives, pulled the curtain back so to speak to show what it is really like as an unpaid, family caregiver and watching someone you desperately love slip a little further away with each passing day. It is soul-crushing.

Did it magically heal me? Absolutely not. I’m still a hot mess at times. I have severe social anxiety, I mean some days it takes everything in me just to walk out the door to my home. Most days I don’t make it, but because I have broadened my horizon and gained a deeper understanding I now realize that it’s not a permanent issue and tomorrow could be better.

Today, I feel more confident in pushing the issue because while I was showing you how hard it was to be a caregiver you showed me that there are caring, loving people out there who understand and care. Don’t ever forget that YOU saved ME!

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts.  Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:

Baking In A Tornado                    https://www.BakingInATornado.com

Spatulas on Parade                     https://spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

The Bergham Chronicles               https://berghamchronicles.blogspot.com/

Never Ever Give Up Hope                https://batteredhope.blogspot.com

Our Prime Years                           https://ourprimeyears.com/blog/

Climaxed                                       https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com

Part-time Working Hockey Mom        https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Rena McDaniel
Ready to go?

Rena McDaniel

Web Designer | Wanderer | Storyteller at Wandering Web Designer | The Blogging 911
Hi, I'm Rena & I was born to wander. If I'm not on an adventure I'm planning one! I specialize in travel for couples & families in and around the US/Canada. I'm a wife of 28 years, mom, to three & grandma to 5. After years of caregiving, my life is finally my own & wandering is the name of the game!
Rena McDaniel
Ready to go?

Latest posts by Rena McDaniel (see all)

  • 2019 ReCap For Secret Subject Swap - December 6, 2019
  • Banff National Park’s Little Known Facts - December 3, 2019
  • Where To Stay When You Visit Glacier National Park - November 26, 2019
1Shares

Related

Filed Under: Creative Writing, Secret Subject Swap, Writing Challenges Tagged With: Aug, creative writing, SSS, writing, writing challenges

About Rena McDaniel

Hi, I'm Rena & I was born to wander. If I'm not on an adventure I'm planning one! I specialize in travel for couples & families in and around the US/Canada. I'm a wife of 28 years, mom, to three & grandma to 5. After years of caregiving, my life is finally my own & wandering is the name of the game!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tamara says

    August 9, 2019 at 10:19 am

    What a wonderful, bittersweet post, Rena!
    While it’s comforting to know you’re not alone, there are still many situations you have to handle on your own, not knowing what “the right way” is, but it’ll always be “your way”, and with your best intentions.

    Reply
  2. Karen BakingInATornado says

    August 9, 2019 at 11:19 am

    I love everything about this piece, Rena, it’s the story of how reaching out, and finding so many willing to take your hand, can make all the difference in the world.

    Reply
  3. Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade says

    August 9, 2019 at 12:11 pm

    Thank you for sharing your journey with us, I know at times it was and still is hard but in researching, reaching out and sharing with us, your life has been enriched and in doing so, it has enriched ours as well.

    Reply
  4. Donna McNicol says

    August 9, 2019 at 3:38 pm

    I remember when my sister-in-law, the always bubbly – always cheerful – always helpful one, had to deal with a father who’d had a stroke and a mother who had a heart attack. All withing months of each other. Depression and fatigue drained her – and she was still working full-time. She finally talked to her doctor and got some medication (since discontinued) and was amazed at how much better she was at coping with things.

    Sending huge hugs your way!

    Reply
  5. jenny says

    August 11, 2019 at 10:20 pm

    finding groups about chronic fatigue syndrome (my illness), reading others’ experiences, and finding friends who have it has made all the difference to me. I imagine your blog has been a source of comfort for people who really needed it, and that’s something you can really be proud of even on the hardest days

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Wanna Hang Out?

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Days Until Our Adventure

171Days 16Hours 38Minutes 06Seconds

Looking For Something Specific?

wanderingwebdesigner

I’m a traveling web designer & I offer blogging tips💻, travel inspiration⛺️ & stories📘 from the road. #WordPressIsMy🍷 Rena@wanderingwebdesigner.com

Instagram post 2179995145741779632_1773947339 LINK IN BIO: #wanderer #traveling #travelers #travelbug #travelholic #travelgram #travelinggram
#nationalparks #nps #yellowstone #instatravel #explore #vanlife
#travelphotography #exploring #explorer #wanderlust #doyoutravel #goexplore #travelmore
#lovetotravel #wonderfulplaces #roamtheplanet #travellifestyle
Instagram post 2179874339711779085_1773947339 LINK IN BIO: #wanderer #traveling #travelers #travelbug #travelholic #travelgram #travelinggram
#nationalparks #nps #yellowstone #instatravel #explore #vanlife
#travelphotography #exploring #explorer #wanderlust #doyoutravel #goexplore #travelmore
#lovetotravel #wonderfulplaces #roamtheplanet #travellifestyle
Instagram post 2179270375983264524_1773947339 LINK IN BIO: #wanderer #traveling #travelers #travelbug #travelholic #travelgram #travelinggram
#nationalparks #nps #yellowstone #instatravel #explore #vanlife
#travelphotography #exploring #explorer #wanderlust #doyoutravel #goexplore #travelmore
#lovetotravel #wonderfulplaces #roamtheplanet #travellifestyle
Instagram post 2179149580313255248_1773947339 LINK IN BIO: #wanderer #traveling #travelers #travelbug #travelholic #travelgram #travelinggram
#nationalparks #nps #yellowstone #instatravel #explore #vanlife
#travelphotography #exploring #explorer #wanderlust #doyoutravel #goexplore #travelmore
#lovetotravel #wonderfulplaces #roamtheplanet #travellifestyle
Instagram post 2178545606786688658_1773947339 LINK IN BIO: #wanderer #traveling #travelers #travelbug #travelholic #travelgram #travelinggram
#nationalparks #nps #yellowstone #instatravel #explore #vanlife
#travelphotography #exploring #explorer #wanderlust #doyoutravel #goexplore #travelmore
#lovetotravel #wonderfulplaces #roamtheplanet #travellifestyle
Instagram post 2178424814002494044_1773947339 LINK IN BIO: #wanderer #traveling #travelers #travelbug #travelholic #travelgram #travelinggram
#nationalparks #nps #yellowstone #instatravel #explore #vanlife
#travelphotography #exploring #explorer #wanderlust #doyoutravel #goexplore #travelmore
#lovetotravel #wonderfulplaces #roamtheplanet #travellifestyle
Load More... Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

Products

  • The Blogging 911 Technality Quiz $0.00
  • Custom Graphics For Social Media or Web Designer
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $15.00 – $37.50
  • Quiz Creation $250.00 $100.00
  • Business Google Analytics Setup $200.00
  • Basic Google Analytics Setup $50.00
  • Welcome Email Sequence $100.00
  • PDF Lead Magnets $250.00 $100.00
  • Landing Page Setup
  • Optin Setup $100.00

Healing & condolence gift package from a healing spirit.org!

Would you like to join some fun writing challenges & make friends?

Top Posts & Pages

  • 2019 ReCap For Secret Subject Swap
    2019 ReCap For Secret Subject Swap
  • Branding
  • Annual Maintenance
  • Luxury Maintenance
  • Web Design
  • Work With Me

Copyright © 2019 · Designed By Rena L. McDaniel

Get Your FREE Copy of "The Ultimate Road-Trippers National Park Resource Guide" This 58 page ebook will help you plan your next road trip! Dismiss

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok