My Caregivers

I am so blessed and truly grateful that my living situation enables me to provide for myself the care that I need on a daily basis. As you can imagine, I need care 24/7, so it is essential that my caregivers are devoted to my needs. It is not easy to find someone that provides me with compassionate support and empathy but luckily, I have been so blessed to have two wonderful ladies – Ester and Nelly – that I am pleased to call my angels. I feel that it is fitting to dedicate an article to them as they play a vital role in my support system.

Ester has been with our family for almost 17 years, way before I got sick. She knows me very well, and she knows how I used to cook – so her first responsibility is cooking for us, especially when my boys (and now daughter in-law) are visiting ha ha. I taught her how to cook and thankfully, not only is she  eager to learn, but she also loves to cook! She is very cheerful and caring towards my family and I, and she always does her job with a smile on her face.

Nelly joined our family ten years ago, a couple of years after I got sick. She gradually started doing everything for me as my body functions started deteriorating. She knows how to feed me with the exact consistency so I don’t choke, and if I do choke, she knows what to do so that I can breathe. She has become my hands; she brushes my teeth, my hair, washes my face and puts on my make up (yes, sometimes I actually put  makeup on although I don’t need it ha ha). She also handles all my medication and makes sure I take them on time no matter where I am or who I am with. My medicine is given to me by mixing them with mashed fruits (or sometimes tasty sweets) to facilitate easy swallowing.

Ester and Nelly are my angels sent from heaven to make my life a lot easier. They take care of me night and day – they bathe me, dress me, turn me over several times during the night, they help sit me down on my chair and take turns sitting with me while I watch TV to assist in changing the channels. I have a baby monitor connected to me wherever I go, so when I need them, I simply make different sounds and they come to check up on me. They have become part of our family and a vital part of my amazing support group.

I consider myself extremely lucky and blessed to have them in my life; taking care of an ALS patient requires lots of patience, attention and empathy. It is very physical and time-consuming, but thankfully my caregivers have all the above in abundance. I am so grateful for their dedication and time; these girls have left their children and families out of financial necessity to take care of me. Ester has one boy who is very chubby, smart and funny just like his mother, we love hearing his stories and seeing his photos. Nelly has four children and three grandchildren, in fact, recently her daughter came to work with us too to help her mother financially and with her work.

I am so grateful for their continued dedication and commitment. I thank them in my prayers, and during my daily activities. Today, I would like to thank them in my blog, just to show them how much I appreciate all what they do for me. Thank you Ester and Nelly, I love you and will always be indebted to you for your continued dedication in caring for me. I cannot imagine my life without your help.