Sometimes you’ve just gotta laugh
When you’re a caregiver, there are tedious, exasperating, and scary moments. But hilarious things happen too. At those times, you’ve gotta let yourself laugh.
We’ve talked about why finding humor in caregiving is an important coping technique. And now we’ve found a perfect example of a caregiver who’s using humor to get through the stressful times.
Under Cardiac Arrest cartoons
John Donaghue is a caregiver and a writer. On his website, Under Cardiac Arrest, he creates cartoons that point out the funny things about aging.
John says:
“I started writing Under Cardiac Arrest right around the time my father started wearing a batting helmet everyday. Fear of falling. My mother became obsessed with buying cereal. Frosted Flakes, Raisin Bran, Wheaties, whatever was on sale.
Between doctor appointments, middle of the night 911 calls, grocery shopping, adult diapers, broken hearing aids, hospitals, I was stressed and angry a lot.
I came up with the idea for “Under Cardiac Arrest” after my Dad’s second heart attack. Seeing some humor in all this helped me to keep going.”
A few of our favorite cartoons
There are dozens of funny cartoons on the Under Cardiac Arrest website. Here are 3 of our favorites.
Next Step Check out John’s cartoons and have a much-needed laugh
You might also like:
— VIDEO: Jeff Foxworthy – You Might Be a Caregiver If…
— REVIEW: Roz Chast’s Memoir “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?”
— What Kind of Sh*t Does This 73 Year Old Say?
Image: Under Cardiac Arrest
About the Author
Connie Chow
Connie was a hands-on caregiver for her grandmother for 20 years. (Grandma made it to 101 years old!) She knows how challenging, overwhelming, and all-consuming caring for an older adult can be. She also knows how important support is — especially in the form of practical solutions, valuable resources, and self-care tips.
I had to laugh (with some recognition) at these cartoons, and I appreciate the value of humor. My mom had Alzheimer’s, and my husband and I took care of her for 5years and 3 months. I even wrote a book about our experiences taking care of her entitled, “My Mother Has Alzheimer’s and My Dog Has Tapeworms: A Caregiver’s Tale. ” I tried to write it with humor and heart. I’ll share 1 anecdote here. My mom wanted to tell someone that she had pounded the pavement, looking for a job (accounting) in NY after college, but what she said was, “I walked the streets of NY, if you know what I mean.” My mom might have been a sweet talker, but she wasn’t a street walker. I just had to share the humor in that.
It’s wonderful to try to see the humor when possible 💜 It can help to lighten the mood for everyone.
thank you for your humor. I, too, have started a biz because I wanted to share humor with seniors. Call it a defense mechanism, I don’t know. But nothing makes me happy (well, my kids) than seeing one of my residents or elderly friends giggle!