A bright red ponytail and flying blond hair edged around the corner of room number 11 in the Children’s Cancer ward. Wide-eyes greeted me as my two precious little girls tip-toed over to where I perched on the parent chair/bed/sofa/storage unit. I hadn’t seen them for over a week: the… Read more“The Difference Hair Can Make”
Author: Carol Bovee
The Blood and the PTSD
I ran frantically through the house, sweat dripping down my back and my eyes wide open with that familiar gritty I’ve-spent-all-night-awake-in-the-hospital-feeling. I grabbed things and flung them into suitcases and yelled again for my kids to get out! No one answered and I redoubled my efforts. Piles of laundry gave… Read more“The Blood and the PTSD”
Submersion or Submission: Which would you choose?
In the fifth part of our series on how caregivers seem to experience the same reactions to circumstances that a drowning person experiences, we explore the options a drowning person has–submersion or submission. “From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with… Read more“Submersion or Submission: Which would you choose?”
Angels and Lifeguards: What a Caregiver Needs
In this third part of our series on Drowning in Plain Sight, we salute those ‘lifeguards’ and ‘guardian angels’ who recognize a caregiver’s silent struggle in the waters of caregiving despair. “Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on… Read more“Angels and Lifeguards: What a Caregiver Needs”
You Might be Drowning in Plain Sight
Drowning victims and caregivers share more than one might think. In this five-part series we explore the phenomena of “Drowning in Plain Sight.” As you read, whether you’re a caregiver or someone who loves a caregiver, think about the people in your ‘pool’–is anyone drowning? “Except in rare circumstances, drowning… Read more“You Might be Drowning in Plain Sight”
Hurricanes, Hospitals and Nurses
Ever since spending an inordinate amount of time in three different children’s hospitals during my son’s fight with leukemia, I’ve had a soft-spot for nurses, social workers and other personnel who dedicate their lives to not only saving children, but improving their quality of life in the process. They routinely… Read more“Hurricanes, Hospitals and Nurses”
Work: When Teaching is a Gift
Today’s prompt is: WORK I received a gift at work today. My award-winning day did not start when I forgot to grab my school keys off my dresser as I headed out on my 45 minute drive to teach 7th and 8th graders. It wasn’t the middle-schoolers’ insatiable desire… Read more“Work: When Teaching is a Gift”
In the Midst of Catastrophe and Crisis
When catastrophe strikes and crises arise, caregivers and survivors often struggle with guilt and surreal feelings of isolation and wonder that life moves on around us. Sometimes we are caught so deeply in our own battle that we forget others face different fights. But even harder – we’re bewildered that… Read more“In the Midst of Catastrophe and Crisis”
What If and If Only
As I stood under the spray of my shower yesterday morning, the what if moments of our cancer journey replayed through my mind. The remonstrating hospital staff telling me that I shouldn’t do that repeated in my head as well. But my son bleeding in his tears haunts me and… Read more“What If and If Only”
Take Care of Yourself: Six Ways to Avoid Caregiver Burnout
Cancer Caregiving 101: Take Care of Yourself and Prevent Caregiver Burnout “Now you must realize,” the doctor straightened the papers into the already thick folder as he finished summarizing the diagnosis, treatment protocol and prognosis, “with a best-case scenario, we’re in for a long haul. You two must take care… Read more“Take Care of Yourself: Six Ways to Avoid Caregiver Burnout”
