Giving Encouragement
As I’ve journeyed through life, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that you never truly know what someone else is going through. The world around us is filled with challenges, and it’s easy to see how tough times have become for so many. Yet, in the midst of these struggles, there lies […]
Caregivers and Palliative Care
Believe it or not, we did run into some unexpected blessings along the way, one of which was “palliative care.” At first, however, we had no idea what palliative care was. We heard about it from our oncologist, and I am so grateful that we did. This care came at a time for us when […]
Quality vs. Quantity
Take a moment to consider how you would spend your time if you were given just one more year here on this earth. I remember before my husband became ill that, as a family, we always seemed to be going and doing while never really slowing down. We had a lot of good times and […]
You vs. Home Healthcare: “Why is there a nurse in my kitchen?”
I remember asking myself this question once, and it was certainly a turning point in my caretaking journey. For us, home healthcare (HHC) came in at a time when my husband needed twice-daily IV antibiotics and wound care. It was an interesting point along the road, because it not only made me realize that I […]
Your Life is About to Change
I remember that day standing in the emergency room waiting on the doctor’s to come back with the results from the MRI. The minute he showed us the tumor on the spine, we (myself, my husband Nick, and my then 16-year old son Aaron) knew that my husband’s cancer had come back, and we knew […]
Be Choosy
Our journey was one that was filled with so many doctors, hospitals, and procedures. Let’s just say in one way or another we visited just about every floor at the hospital. For the most part we were very blessed to have a good medical team surrounding us. What I came to realize, however, was that […]
Being a Healthy Caretaker-Part Two
Last week, I shared about some of the physical effects that over two years of caregiving has had on my body (hypertension, high cholesterol, and weight gain), and what did and didn’t work for me during this high-stress, adrenaline-fueled period in my life. I hope that by sharing these experiences with you that you can […]
Being a Healthy Caretaker- Part One
Nearly three quarters (72%) of family caregivers report not going to the doctor as often as they should and 55% say they skip doctor appointments for themselves. 63% of caregivers report having poor eating habits than non-caregivers and 58% indicate worse exercise habits than before caregiving responsibilities.” Source: Evercare Study of Caregivers in Decline: A […]
