Feeling Invisible: The Importance of Caring for the CaregiverI don't mean to sound selfish or pitiful, but sometimes, as a caregiver to someone with cancer, I feel forgotten and invisible. People seem to forget to care for the... By Kaye Waller3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Moving and Changing: Navigating Its ChallengesLately, life in "cancerland" has felt so overwhelming; I feel a little lost, adrift in the changes our recent move across the country sent rippling through our lives. Even when... By Kayla Millett3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Zometa From a Caregiver’s Point of ViewThere comes a time every 3 months when my partner, Steph, receives an infusion of a drug called Zometa. Zoledronic acid (brand name Zometa) is a medication delivered via an... By Kayla Millett3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Committing to My Wellbeing as a Full-time CaregiverI said, "I look alright," as I glanced at myself shirtless in the mirror. "Even though I'm a bit chubby, this baggy shirt still makes me look decent." My dog... By Joel Hughes3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Caregiving and TraumaAs many of you know, I've been a caregiver for my friends and family since I was 18 years old, which is 52 years in total. In 1970, I gave... By Kaye Waller3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
The Fallible Caregiver Series: Finding Strength and Connecting to EmpathyI consider my wife and I a relatively young couple. Rebekah is 35, and I'm 45. We've been married for 8 and a half years. Rebekah has been fighting stage... By Joel Hughes3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Why Does Self-Care Really Matter?At my age (I'll turn 73 in September), epiphanies are few and far between. That could be the price of grasping at life and all its experiences so greedily for... By Kaye Waller2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Playing “Twister” With CancerCancer doesn't consider the calendar. It doesn't avoid birthdays or important dates. We've spent holidays, anniversaries, and even some dates holding hands in a waiting room. We've said no to... By Kayla Millett2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
The Fallible Caregiver Series: How to Connect When You Feel AloneMy biggest, number one struggle as a caregiver and spouse is feeling alone. This feeling is hard for me to articulate in words. I don't feel the kind of lonely... By Joel Hughes3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Caregiver Perspective: Getting Ready for RadiationAs a caregiver, it's my job to support my partner through their metastatic breast cancer journey. Support has looked different over the years that we have walked this road. From... By Kayla Millett3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Are There Varying Stages of Caregiving?All over the internet, you'll find pages and pages delineating the stages of cancer, caregiving, and grief. I'm not here to improve or take away from them. I know those... By Kaye Waller3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
This Component Is Missing From My MarriageSomething is missing from my marriage. I (we) lost it some years back. I admit, it's primarily my fault. But losing this one aspect of our relationship is causing damage... By Joel Hughes3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
A Caregiver's Color WheelAs our life moves through the days and the different ways cancer lives with us. The cancer intertwines almost like a loving cat; it is always there. I've learned that... By Kayla Millett3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Love in the First DegreeCaring for a partner with metastatic breast cancer affects everyone differently. You will change if you're called upon to be a caregiver, whether that call is silent or not. You... By Kaye Waller2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Why You Need To Break Your Heart...OftenI find my heart getting hardened towards my wife more than I care to admit. It's usually about the little things, such as: I then feel annoyed, and the fatal... By Joel Hughes3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
When You Never Planned to Be a CaregiverIf you're like me, you never planned to be a caregiver. You probably never went to medical school, and when asked as a child what you wanted to be when... By Kaye Waller2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
A Wake-up Call for Caregivers: Acknowledge Your Mental Health"Your physical health is not what worries me the most about you," Dr. Jim told me. "It's not?" I replied. This conversation began several months ago during a routine checkup... By Joel Hughes2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
Lessons of the CaregiverThrough the many years I served as a cancer caregiver for my parents and, finally, my wife, I've learned a great deal about life, death, and the aftermath of cancer... By Kaye Waller2 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments
The Fallible Caregiver Series: Advocating Within the Medical EstablishmentMy wife has cried more tears over something even more than stage 4 cancer or the cancer treatments: dealing with the frustrations and incompetence of the medical establishment. Sounds crazy... By Joel Hughes4 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments1 comments
Caregiver’s Perspective: Parenting and CancerWe've never hidden cancer or the changes it's brought to our lives. My partner and I have spoken openly and often about the changes that advanced breast cancer wrought on... By Kayla Millett3 min readBookmark for laterReactions 0 reactions Comments0 comments