A Caregiver’s Perspective: Coping with RMS and the Holidays Together

Steve R. is a paid Advocate for Teva Neuroscience, Inc.

Learning to cope with holiday stresses together.

The holiday season! Shopping, cooking, grandkids, dinner parties and smiling all the time! All of this in addition to the daily pressures of coping with RMS.

As a care partner to both a “people pleaser” and somebody with RMS, it is my great honor to both protect my sweet Judy’s health and help her enjoy the holiday season.

Even though we have a small immediate family, we are blessed with a large extended family of friends, business associates and those from our church. All provide opportunities for social engagement as well as holiday stress.

In our house, the first order of business during the holidays is to prioritize seasonal opportunities and then decide what is most important and most practical. There is the potential pressure to cook all the right meals, buy all the right gifts, attend all the right events and make the holidays special for the immediate family, especially the grandkids.

The worst part of Judy’s RMS, in my opinion, is the unpredictable nature of energy levels and routine pain management.  My first priority during the holiday season is to take over routine duties like shopping, providing meals and running errands to allow Judy to conserve her energy.   

We are blessed with sons and daughters-in-law who have patience and are sensitive to Judy’s RMS, which allows us to have low stress family events. Internet shopping has replaced hours at the mall. Take out has replaced hours in the kitchen. Having the grandkids over to our home replaces certain social functions. I think Judy would agree that the most important function I perform is to give Judy permission to say “not now” when pressures build up and her energy wanes. And the full support of immediate family makes it all possible.

Our ultimate goal during the holiday season is to be available for fun holiday gatherings while being attentive to Judy's RMS challenges. I can honestly say that while not completely stress free, our holidays are loving, fun and an encouragement to Judy.

Steve R.

RMS Caregiver