After deciding to leave my career to become a full-time caregiver to my mom, I almost changed my mind. A life-changing event made me re-think my decision.
Caregiver Chronicles: The Decision
We’d been discussing it for a while. And after the neurology appointment on December 1, 2020, the one that took almost 5 hours (including transportation to and from the appointment), I knew we had to go forward.
The next day, I told my boss, the owner of the company, that I was going to have to stop working, in order to care for my mom full time. I’d only been employed since Monday, June 1, 2020. And I was going to have to quit.
He completely understood. He acknowledged that he was aware of my coming in late, and being gone for long stretches at a time. He never admonished me for it, however, for which I will be forever grateful. But the fact was, with a job as demanding as mine, and a mother who had a myriad of health issues that also demanded a lot of time and attention, along with doctor visits and treatments, there was no way I could give both the adequate time and attention that they equally deserved.
My boss accepted my resignation, and expressed his empathy over what I was dealing with. He and my other co-workers clearly recalled my mother’s first seizure in August.