Becoming a caregiver can happen at any age, and while there are some universal truths, the age and stage of life that a person is in when this occurs can impact the way this feels and unfolds. In this episode, Allison (44) and Justin (42) talk with Ella Whitlecroft (23), Glenn Nishida (65), and Harriette Manis (74) about how the age and place in life they were in when they began caregiving played a role in their life decisions, finances, education, employment, and relationships.
Justin’s wife received unexpected test results that led down the path of scans, an appointment with an oncologist and a plan for surgery. In this episode, Justin shares what they’ve been through and what lies ahead.
For people living with an illness or injury, appointments with medical professionals can feel like important moments to learn more about the prognosis, get access to new treatments, and share concerns about new symptoms. But what happens when those appointments don’t go well? How does that impact caregivers and what, if anything, is their role in following up? In this episode, Allison and Justin talk about their experiences with unpleasant appointments for their spouses, how that felt, and what they did about it.
Medical appointments are often a huge component of a caregiver’s life, the impact spanning far beyond the time spent with the provider. In this episode, Justin and Allison discuss all that goes into preparing for, living through, and recovering from appointments from a caregiver perspective.
After multiple treatments were unsuccessful, Justin and his wife had settled into the reality of life with her chronic illness. At a recent appointment, their doctor mentioned a promising new study in which some Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) patients saw improvements when adding a new medication. Listen in as Justin shares what it feels like to have a glimmer of hope and as he and Allison talk about the experiences they have had over the years of having, losing, and being devastated by hope.
Allison found out about her husband's most recent cancer diagnosis when an alert popped up in his MyChart account announcing a new Test Result. Listen in as she describes to Justin what the moments and days after opening that message have been like as her family sits with a diagnosis but not yet a plan.
Justin and Allison talk about several moments in recent days when they have found themselves in the midst of a medical crisis with their partners and what it felt during and in the aftermath of those situations.
Justin and Allison describe all that goes into making appointments happen, from logistics to advocacy to the hangover in the days that follow and how, in the medical setting, they’re never able to “just” be a spouse.