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...

Lisa Allarid was faced with huge adversity and a new normal  in December of 2018 when her husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease.  She's a mom of 4 and works in the finance industry. 

She had to learn about kidney disease, nutrition, and how the donor system works.  

Lisa also shares how she stopped taking care of herself, going out with friends and really hitting rock bottom before she realized the importance of her needs.  

You will find some amazing golden nuggets about half way through the interview when Lisa shares how she is embracing her new normal by knowing what type of caregiver she is., what her strengths are, and what her weaknesses are. 

As she is growing and figuring out how to be a better caregiver and most importantly a better person to herself, she is expressing what she needs.  She's a beautiful role model and teaching her children the true meaning of love and...

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...

As a caregiver, you embark on a path that often takes you through uncharted emotional territories. The journey is not just about providing care, but also about personal transformation. This podcast episode delves into the transformative process caregivers undergo, from the initial fear and doubt to eventual mastery and empowerment.

Imagine the scenario: your loved one needs a stem cell transplant, and suddenly, you're thrust into a whirlwind of medical terms and life-altering decisions. This is where our host's journey began. The fear zone is the first hurdle, marked by avoidance, stress, and overwhelm. It's easy to feel out of your depth, whether it's facing unfamiliar medical equipment or navigating the complex healthcare system. But recognizing these feelings is the first step towards moving out of the fear zone.

Transitioning into the learning zone, caregivers begin to acquire new skills. Understanding medical information becomes less daunting, and communicating with...

You jump in your car and the check engine light goes on.  Well you think to yourself, should I just leave it or bring it back into the shop.  There obviously is something wrong. 

How does this relate to caregiving.  Today I want to talk about resilience

Things have shifted in your life, as well as mine.  Your life is not the same.  Change has happened or maybe it’s still happening, like mine is in the caregiver life and caregiver journey

Dealing with changes, challenges, barriers and disruptions is hard.  It’s frustrating,  It’s scay and then there is the uncertainty too.  It challenges your beliefs and it can knock you down.  

Resilience is the promise of the human spirit  - that it can rise through it.  That you can move forward with great faith and optimism and recapture it all.  

It's the  ability to believe.  When a challenge or situation occurs and we can’t find the...

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...

One of my favorite additions to The Caregiver Wife Podcast is the interviews with caregiver wives.  Each woman has a unique with a  different story.  Each diverse story that’s shared is a way for listeners to gain insights, motivation, inspiration, strength and ways to lead as a caregiver.  If you want to share your story, click this link.

I would love to connect with you!!!

And now on to the show episode….  In this episode…. 

I have the pleasure of interviewing Jodi Duggan.  She is a Mom, Grandmother, and Caregiver Wife.   I have a unique connection to her since she is married to my brother, John.   I knew her story but when I heard her share the details, I felt her strength, courage and abilities to overcome challenges in a whole different light.  Oh and did I share that she was a military wife raising 4 children while my brother was deployed.