Can You Really Be Guilt Free?
Out of the articles I have written and continue to write, the biggest request I get is to share about the guilt that is involved in being a caretaker. There isn’t a caretaker I have met who doesn’t tell me how they feel some sort of guilt. When thinking back I always considered it a […]
Feeling Scared
In my last couple of articles, I have tried to touch on some of the emotional effects of caretaking. I don’t know what your situation is right now. Maybe you are taking care of an elderly parent, a sick child, or a terminally ill spouse. Plainly and simply, there is usually fear that comes with […]
Finding Your Joy
Being a caretaker is an emotional roller coaster for sure. Personally, I felt the emotional fatigue was much more draining than the physical. At the end of some days I could not even put a thought together. My mind was flooded with the well-being of my loved one, our future, and the kids. While this […]
Getting Organized at Home
I will admit I have a little “June Cleaver” in me! We had lived in our home for close to twelve years, and for most of that time, you would have found my house spotless with everything in its rightful place. It seemed so important to me at the time, but that quickly changed. Don’t […]
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 […]
