tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364669902775880430.post2300405294418398000..comments2023-05-22T05:23:33.917-07:00Comments on Love in the Time of Chronic Illness: helping partners cope with illness: Illness as Catalyst?Barbara Kivowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04069286366650175153noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364669902775880430.post-70178731675239502992010-08-26T09:06:16.913-07:002010-08-26T09:06:16.913-07:00Thanks for your comments Patrick & Mo. I gue...Thanks for your comments Patrick & Mo. I guess there are as many responses to illness as their are people with illness and partners who take care of them. Illness does not necessarily turn meanness into kindness; and years spent being ill or caring for an ill person can wear a person's spirit down. And illness can also elicit competencies and loving-kindness.Barbara K.http://www.insicknessinhealth.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364669902775880430.post-79156641244709240482010-08-25T20:02:31.509-07:002010-08-25T20:02:31.509-07:00My parents had a bad marriage, riddled with alcoho...My parents had a bad marriage, riddled with alcoholism, infidelity and mental illness on my father's part, and the death of a child. When my father developed colon cancer and Mother could no longer care him, he went into a nursing home. He became a mean, resentful man and turned us all away. It was easy...we didn't like him anyway. Any kindness we tried to show him was met with anger. He shut himself off to everyone. The only communication was his constant question asking if the next Thursday was Thanksgiving. He asked that for months. He died on Thanksgiving.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364669902775880430.post-9934565945310375452010-08-15T16:16:18.383-07:002010-08-15T16:16:18.383-07:00You raise an interesting question.I once said,&quo...You raise an interesting question.I once said,"A long term spousal caregiver paints a canvas where the years spent caring dwarf the years spent sharing. ..." It would depend when illness starts, in our story Multiple Sclerosis entered out lives before the wear and tear of a relationship could ever develop. <br /><br />Caregivingly Yours, PatrickAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14000299655117252000noreply@blogger.com