Poll for Family Caregivers

[martha]

I know there are a lot more caregivers that read this forum than post on it. I'm very lucky to be able to work from home and I've "met" a couple of others on here who also do. I'm curious how everyone balances their caregiving responsibilities with their job, i.e. how many of us work from home or don't work at all?

[marmalady]

Hi, Martha, There's no spot for 'all of the above'! Which I've done. Right after the accident, I quit my restaurant job to fly to SC, where i stayed in a motel for a month while Matt was in ICU; then we flew up to Jersey and Kessler, and I got my old job of medical transcriptionist back, and worked at home during the time he was at Kessler, and for the first 2 1/2 years he was home. Then slowly got back into the food business part time, and now full time. The only one I couldn't check off was the financial one!

_____________
Tough times don't last - tough people do.

[shacha]

hi Martha, I like Marmalady hav done more than one thing. at first I quit work and stayed home with him full time for about a year, then went to work in the hospital full time was there 3 years (then he got sick again) had to quit that, was home 1 year went to work part time closer to home, the store closed he got sicker so i have been home now for 3 years again. am suposed to go talk to someone about a job on thurs a good job ful time but guess what he is sic again.we ned me to work but i swear i dont know how some of you work at home, if you could help me find work at home i would be over joyed and forever greatful enough to be a loud voice for a cure. thejob thing is more complexthen this but this is the short story http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[martha]

I was afraid that it would be too complicated for a simple survey. I guess I'm just amazed at how good some people are at balancing everything and how totally inadequate I am and how many things I don't get handled at all. Like a child, I wanted the magic (translate simple) answer on how you do it!!!! http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif

[LauraD]

I worked full time until the kids got out of school last year.
I took the summer off and had planned to go back in the fall.
I knew Heather was going to have her Mitrofanoff done so I waited
to go back full time. I started subbing at school as an aide or
in the office and decided that schedule worked best for now. I
will be off this summer again but in the fall I am going to have
to go back full time as it is a financial strain to have me not
working full time. Hopfully after she goes to Shriner's the end
of June she will become more independent and I will feel more
comfortable not being here all the time.

[M.Elston]

I work my butt off every day, as I'm sure you all do. I'm a homeschooling mom to my two daughters. I'm glad we have this educational option. It has made our lives so much easier! I know she would have missed so much school if we had been doing the traditional public school thing at the time of her SCI. even now, on days when the pain/spasticity/whatever is too much for her to handle, 'school' can be going back to bed with a reading assignment.

M.Elston SCI Mom to 15YO incomplete L2-3

[martha]

I KNOW you work your butt off! Please don't think I was demeaning those all important, but non-financially paying jobs! You're doing the most important thing in the world taking care of your children and their education. And I know that the pay-off if there even though it isn't a financial one in the form of a paycheck. Congratulations and continued success with this challenge.