Article written by Cathy Ellis

For the past eight years, I have been my Mother's caregiver twenty-four and seven, while running a corporation full time, as well as handling all of the household responsibilities. God bless me. If any of you are doing that, well then, God bless you, too. For the novice, I can only compare it with that TV ad of the guy and the donuts. Remember him? He used to meet himself coming and going? Well, that's me. Thanks to the lack of home health care insurance, 9/11 and a very negligent doctor, the only way I could deal with it was to either check myself into the nearest center for crazed caregivers, if there was such an entity, or write it down. Write it down was of course, the best option. The only way I can write is with humor. Can't help myself. Having been raised on a diet of "Your Show of Shows", "The Carol Burnett Show" and "The Honeymooner's", I see life through Imogene Coca's sneer, Carol Burnett's Tarzan Yell and Jackie Gleason's "To the moon, Alice!". Oh, How sweet it is!
So, "My Life With Mom" started out as sheer therapy and turned into a blaze of humor and helpful hints for my brothers and sisters in "caredom". Others, will, of course, enjoy it as well, but it is those of us who are now veterans of this war on aging that will appreciate it the most. Well, they say that laughter is medicine for the heart. Even our proofreader was overheard on the phone, telling her husband that she had a healthier heart after reading through this book and laughing so much. Made my day.
One of the reasons for all the humor in the book, and one of the most interesting aspects of living with and taking care of my Mom, is that she earned her doctorate in the Domestic Arts and Sciences, and I'm domestically challenged. Fifty-two years of marriage and three children also earned her, in my estimation, the Congressional Medal of Valor. I, on the other hand, flunked basic Rice Krispies 101. You see, when I was a child, I would come home to the wonderful aroma of roasted chicken or steak that Mom had been cooking and creating all day. We would sit down to dinner and feast on a delectable meal fit for kings, eating off of fine china set upon a fancy table cloth. Now, poor Mom gets her microwaved meals on a tray, on her lap, in front of the Television. She probes the food with a fork wondering what the heck it is, often wrinkling her nose at me after doing a taste test. She then sends me back and forth into the kitchen until it's heated properly. Yee Gawds! Later, I'll hear her on the phone telling her chums through waves of laughter, that it's like living with a bride "who doesn't even know how to boil water." Sigh. Julia Child, where are you?
Being a caregiver to your parent is an interesting phenomenon, isn't it? Prior to eight years ago, I had hardly ever been in a hospital, let alone a doctor's office. Boy, did that all change. In one fell swoop. Now, I can honestly say that I am only a few minute details away, well, like an actual college degree if you're going to be fussy about it, from being a full-fledged doctor, nurse or therapist. I imagine most caregivers feel that way, too. The Television ad for "Doctor Mom" should also be for "Doctor Caregiver", don't you think?
Personally, I am so very blessed to be sharing my life with my Mom. She is the other half of my heart. For eighty-something, she's amazing. For fifty-something, I need Tums and Valium. A week at a spa wouldn't hurt, either. Mom is the CEO here, the Chief Executive Order-Giver, and I am just her very large child, which leads to some very comical situations. I also have to say that Mom gave me permission to write this book, without which, I would be up a creek without a paddle.
To get a copy of "My Life With Mom", you can go to our website at www.efmbooks.com or call us TOLL FREE at 1-800-573-5547. The first one thousand purchasers will receive an autographed copy and a FREE CD of our new musical comedy hit song, "Stayin' Well", which will continue to bring you hours of laughter and enjoyment.
'Til then, I'll be seeing you at the donut shop.


Cathy Ellis is President of EFM Productions, Inc./EFM Books
She is a hit songwriter, publisher, recording artist and authoress.
You can email her at efmmusco@aol.com and visit EFM's
Web site at www.efmbooks.com

(c)-2005-EFM Productions, Inc.