" ""One of the meditations from Catch Your Breath cited in Oprah Magazine"" Whether you have chosen to be a caregiver or were hijacked by circumstances, Catch Your Breath, a series of touching meditations by Linda Spalla, will become a wisp of sanity and a day-to-day stabilizer. Spalla retraces an eight month care-giving journey with her mother, captured in raw, candid images, truly becoming a walk in her shoes. What started as a thirty-days-to-live commitment of care in her home turned into an unexpected eight months of never-ending responsibility. You will feel a kinship with the roller coaster of emotions; from anger, confusion, surprise, resentment, guilt and ambivalence, to finally relief, recovery and celebration. You will learn through the various vignettes some refreshingly practical information on such topics as finding sitters, managing medicine, dealing with sibling rivalry, contracting with Hospice, moving to assisted living, doing will preparation and other legalities as well as funeral planning. You will laugh; you will sob; your heart will soar; your heart will break. You will find solace, encouragement and inspiration for one of life’s most daunting challenges. But especially, you will discover your best self, emerging stalwart, strong and forged by the fire of your caregiving experience. Give yourself a gift of renewal and Catch Your Breath. " Catch Your Breath Tender Meditations for Caregivers By Linda Spalla Balboa Press Copyright © 2014 Linda Spalla All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4525-2223-4 Contents Acknowledgements, xi, Introduction, xiii, The Early Days, Chapter 1: A Dose of Overconfidence, 1, Chapter 2: Rearranging Space and Finding Some for You, 5, Chapter 3: A Bumpy Mattress and Street Noise, 7, Chapter 4: An Army and Dirty Carpets, 9, Chapter 5: The Crystal Bell, 11, Chapter 6: A Cup of Hot Chocolate, 13, Chapter 7: It's All About the Bathroom, 15, Chapter 8: Gray Days, 17, Chapter 9: Resentment and Feeling Trapped, 19, Chapter 10: Next Comes the Guilt, 21, In the Throes of the Day to Day, Chapter 11: The Gift, 25, Chapter 12: Dance Lessons, 27, Chapter 13: Sitter Stress, 29, Chapter 14: Strangers in the Night, 31, Chapter 15: A Neighbor and a Rose, 33, Chapter 16: Sibling Confusion, 35, Chapter 17: Detours, 37, Chapter 18: Wheelchairs and Walkers, 39, Chapter 19: Oh, My Aching Back, 41, Chapter 20: Keeping Up with Medicine, 43, Chapter 21: Becoming the Parent, 45, Chapter 22: Praying, 47, Chapter 23: Listening, 49, Chapter 24: Writing Your Way Through It, 51, Chapter 25: Stay Near the Sun, 53, Chapter 26: A Word About Hospice, 55, Chapter 27: A Dove's Nest, 57, Chapter 28: You Are Stronger Than You Think, 59, Chapter 29: Filling Up Your Gas Tank, 61, Chapter 30: Waiting for the Prognosis, 63, Chapter 31: Second-Guessing Yourself, 65, Chapter 32: The Smells, 67, Chapter 33: Bringing Church to You, 69, Chapter 34: Keeping the Spiritual Connection, 71, Chapter 35: The Legal Particulars of Dying, 73, Chapter 36: The Caregivers in Your Family, 75, Chapter 37: A Visit from the Hairdresser, 77, Chapter 38: Spills, Stains, and Overflowing Showers, 79, Chapter 39: Unwanted Company from the Black Sheep of the Family, 81, Chapter 40: 9/11, 83, Chapter 41: Adult Children, 85, Chapter 42: A Taping Session, 87, Chapter 43: Sharing Memories, 89, Embracing Change, Chapter 44: Giving Up and Moving to Assisted Living, 93, Chapter 45: Smaller Spaces, 95, Chapter 46: Learning to Trust All Over Again, 97, Chapter 47: The Importance of a Vacuum Cleaner, 99, Chapter 48: The Fall, 101, Chapter 49: Sunday Afternoons, 103, Chapter 50: Continue with Celebrations, 105, The End and the Beginning, Chapter 51: The Dreaded Call, 109, Chapter 52: A Wish Come True, 111, Chapter 53: Her Glasses, 113, Chapter 54: The Funeral, 115, Chapter 55: Relief, 117, Chapter 56: Getting Through It But Never Getting Over It, 119, Chapter 57: Recycling the Leftovers, 121, Chapter 58: Flying Solo, 123, Chapter 59: How to Be When It's Over, 125, Chapter 60: Getting Used to the Aftershocks, 127, Chapter 61: The Inheritance, 129, Final Word: Tie a Knot and Hang On, 131, About the Author, 133, CHAPTER 1 A Dose of Overconfidence We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. — Joseph Campbell , The Power of Myth When I was in my midfifties, my dear mother, who was eighty years of age, suddenly found blood in her urine—copious amounts of blood. After a trip to the ER, we discovered that a great deal more was going on inside her body, which led to a diagnosis of advanced leukemia. Suddenly, in one long afternoon, our world turned upside down and the oncologist with a gentle demeanor conveyed to my mother that she had about thirty days to live. He recommended no chemotherapy because of her age and the rarity of the type of leukemia she had. He conveyed the diagnosis and the p