Nelie, I have marched, and run from angry police, in support of equal rights (when I was younger and faster). I was not slighting male caregivers at all, of which my husband was an extraordinary one, only referring to all women caregivers as a sisterhood in the context of this thread.

Hope this clears things up.

I don't believe that I could have been as good as a CG as my wife but I do believe that I was a better patient than my wife would have been. Now I was a pretty bad patient but my wife is far more stubborn than I could EVER be which is why in my opinion she was a great CG.

Nelie, as a male patient I didn't come to this site for social support, although it's a definite benefit. I came for education, knowledge and answers which was even better than I could have imagined.

I'm not a good patient either, when it was determined that I had, indeed, had a stroke [about 8 hrs. after it started] I refused to go the hospital - "just give me some medicine and let me go home". That was a stupid and hardheaded reaction. But during the ensueing rehabilitation of adjusting to the loss of sight in one eye and the loss of lots of brain power, my husband was a consumate caregiver [especially during the times I insisted he leave me alone!] Even after I regained some control over my brain and adjusted to life with one eye, he continued to do many of the things that I could have done[yep-he spoiled me rotten]. Caregiving isn't defined by gender- in my experience it is defined by strenght, determination and love. Amy in the Ozarks