My journey as a caregiver

This post is sponsored by Depend, Poise, Ensure and Glucerna but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Four years ago, I was thrust into a role that no mother ever anticipates. I became the primary caregiver for my teen who started suddenly spitting up blood. While she already battled migraines and severe tummy issues, the blood started us on a journey to try to figure out what was wrong. A couple of years later, we got an answer that may explain it- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. What we didn’t get was a concrete answer, nor have we ever been given an exact one on why she vomits every single day. Twice she’s been diagnosed with Superior Mesenteric Artery syndrome and had lengthy hospital stays. Both times, the diagnosis has been “taken away” because she can keep some food down… sometimes. It’s been a frustrating journey for all of us. 

Rosie turned 18 in September. A couple of weeks before her birthday, her new physician recommended to just go tube-free to see how it went (honestly, the stress of going back and forth to our children’s hospital every 10 days or so to have the tube replaced because she was vomiting it up was killing us). If you’ve ever had a kid on a tube, going without is a scary proposition. You wonder as a caregiver, if they will be able to get enough nutrition to thrive. We decided to give it a go and it was recommended that we supplement her diet with Ensure to balance out her nutrition needs.

We’ve always shopped at Sam’s Club because the prices are amazing. Now we can not only save money, but lots of time with their caregiver program. Sam’s Club carries a wide variety of products that caregivers need on a continuous basis like Ensure, Poise and Depend and Glucerna. While I don’t mind walking into the store to pick up a case of Ensure, I can also order it online and have it delivered (which is great for the other products that you may want discreetly delivered, like Poise, not that I know).

Sam’s Club gives a variety of options for the caregiver to shop. I can order online and have it delivered to the store bypassing the lines, perfect since we’ve purchased a store and now my time is even more limited. In store, I can use the Scan and Go option too. It’s easy to use once you download the app. All I have to do is scan the items, pay and show the online receipt to the greeter on my way out. Super simple. 

So, I bet you’re wondering how it’s going. Well, she’s lost a lot of weight without the tube. However, from an overall health standpoint, her blood work looks good. I definitely think the Ensure is helping. Especially since she’s only able to keep a little food down. So glad that Sam’s Club has a caregiver program for families like us.