Caregiver advice from an oncology nurse

Friend, you’re in for a real treat today with my guest, Esther Mbabzi.  She’s an oncology nurse with tons of passion, stories and amazing advice for you.   

I love how Esther shares experiences with her patients and their Caregivers when they are in the toughest parts of their life and the reality of the situation..

Esther lives in Norway and in addition to working in oncology, she is creating a digital course for Caregivers of spouses with colon cancer.  The course’s purpose is to guide caregivers from the moment diagnosed and show them how to walk from within.   She focuses first on the Caregiver’s mindset before all else.   You can find more information and a free spousal care guide at https://arisehaven.com

In this podcast conversation, you’ll hear 

• Personal stories reinforcing that everyone is different and handles crises differently,
• What the caregiver wife needs to know and do, and 
• Great advice on the things you can control and things outside of your control.  

>> I have three key takeaways:

1. Eshter’s hope for Caregivers:  “My hope is realization.  It’s a progress.  You have to go through it step by step until you realize it’s your new normal.  
2. Your number one priority when your spouse is diagnosed with cancer is your own self-care, not your spouse.   A tired caregiver is no good to anyone.  
3. Caregivers always say that they lose contact with others.  Reasons are that people don’t know what to say to you.  They think you are busy or taking a nap.  They think you will reach out to them when you need help.  So it’s you that has to stay connected.