Hannelore, coming back to this topic, I just feel for you. I hope you have a good support system of friends over there, you know you have them here. Trust me, there will be times you will need a break. I don't care how who it is or how much you love them, taking care of an elderly relative or terminally ill, it wears on you emotionally, physically, and financially, it can take a huge toll on a marriage and family.
I am glad that we were here to take care of my husband's parents, but there were days I would just break down from complete physical and emotional exhaustion. At one point, it took a toll on my health, I was literally sick for six months, my doctor said I had to take a break, I called the
others out of town and at that point they all agreed that once a month one of them would come down, they would take turns, each try to stay at least a week to give us a break.
That was a huge relief. So, Hannelore, take care of yourself so that you can take care of others. I know it's hard, but I know personally, in spite of how hard it was sometimes, it was also rewarding in a way, I learned a lot.
One thing I learned about the elderly that so many don't realize, they need company, human contact. So many are in assisted living and nursing facilities and rarely see their families and a lot of their friends end up distancing themselves from the situation. I know that happened with my in-laws, I can only remember 2 people from their church who were faithful to the end and came to see them on a regular basis, and helped when they could. It's very sad.
Okay, sorry to ramble, this topic really hits home with me.