When Danae Robinett shares her caregiving journey, her words carry both weight and warmth. In a recent podcast episode, she bravely opens up about her experiences caring for her parents, who both battled cancer. Her story isn't just about challenges faced; it's a testament to resilience and offers profound lessons for anyone in a similar role.

As Danae navigates the complexities of healthcare and daily caregiving demands, she emphasizes the importance of self-care and mindfulness. Her insights serve as a guide for those struggling to find balance amidst responsibilities. Danae's narrative highlights the transformative power of approaching life's challenges with mindfulness.

One key lesson Danae shares is the importance of self-preservation while caring for others. She discusses setting boundaries, saying "no" when necessary, and managing time and emotions to sustain both caregiver and care receiver.

Throughout the episode, Danae discusses practical caregiving issues, from long-distance challenges to advocating for proper medical care. She candidly addresses emotional and financial tolls, including the impact on her own health.

The episode concludes with Danae sharing mindfulness practices to release tension and stress. She emphasizes acknowledging emotions without being consumed by them.

Danae invites listeners to connect and learn from her experiences. Her message is clear: while caregiving is an act of love, it should not sacrifice the caregiver's well-being.

In summary, this episode is a lesson in resilience, humanity, and self-compassion. It's essential listening for caregivers and anyone who may find themselves in that role. Danae's experiences offer valuable insights and serve as a reminder to prioritize self-care while caring for others.

Mary Wyatt was faced with huge adversity and a new normal  on 11/7/20 when her husband had a seizure and then she heard the words Grade 4 GBM which in layman's terms is an aggressive cancer that starts in the brain.   In my interview with Mary she shares her story, her challenges and ways she is dealing with the harsh reality of her husband’s cancer.  

I know you can relate to Mary’s story of trying to balance work and caring for you loved one as well as trying to work through your emotions and taking care of yourself. 

One more thing,  I had Mary fill out a questionnaire prior to the interview and wanted to share what she wrote when asked her the question:  

What have you learned about yourself as a caregiver?   
She wrote:  That I am a lot stronger than I ever gave myself credit for, that I was made with grit.  I am resilient, courageous and am driven with a heart so big that has passion to share my testimony so maybe just maybe it can help another young woman out there see she never had to go it alone.

In  the interview today  Mary has an amazing ability to communicate her story of true inspiration.   As you listen, we want you to reflect on:

 “How are you finding your inner strength?”  

 “ How are you asking for help?” and accepting it?

 “Who are you surrounding yourself with?” 

You can find Mary at
 https://www.facebook.com/MaryAWyattCertifiedHealthCoach

Father's Day is bittersweet.  My Dad lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on April 12, 2018.  I was fortunate enough spend the last 17 days before he received his wings.   But this podcast is not about the last day.   It's about those special memories and the lessons he taught me.  

Thank you for allowing me to share a bit about him.  

Listen to my entire podcast episode.  

I never thought I would experience it again.  

These past couple weeks I have been riding the emotional roller coaster of caregiving - again.   

The words that come to mind are sudden, unexpected and why.

Cancer sucks.  It is a nasty disease.   

Aging sucks.  I hate the circle of life right now.  

But this podcast isn’t a pity party or a Debbie downer.  It’s funny how fast you forget about those firsts.  

• The first inkling that something isn’t right with your loved one.
• The initial shock and numbness when you hear the bad news.
• Then comes all those emotions.  
• Hours of sadness, crying, grief before you really need to
• Anger, frustration 
• Worry, confusion 
• Feeling those nerves inside shaking
• You can’t focus

First, let me tell you about my Mom.  I’m blessed to have a great mother-daughter relationship.  

She is an energizer bunny.  The social butterfly.  The one that is always willing to help.  She is the hard working blue collar worker with her own cleaning business.  She is still cleaning small apartments at age 79.   

She was married to my Dad 57 years until Dad passed away in 2018.  They both traveled, enjoyed spending time together and spent 15 winters in Arizona with their retirement village friends.  It amazed me to see the activities they did from riding motor cycles to ATVs to DIYing and much more.  

Mom and I did some Mother Daughter trips to Jamaica, Arizona, Minneapolis and Branson

In the last 3 years, I watched my Mom transform from a struggling widow to a strong, independent and happy woman.  If you follow me on Facebook, you might see many photos of our Sunday Fundays together.  When I visit at her senior apartment, her phone is always ringing and someone is knocking on her door.  

But now, she is faced with cancer.  I noticed...

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.