Welcome To The Caregiver Cup Podcast. My name is Cathy VandenHeuvel. I’m so glad you found this podcast. As a caregiver myself, I know how important it is to find a community that understands all the challenges of juggling all the caregiving responsibilities, how isolated you can feel, and how stress and burnout can affect your mind and body. But I know how rewarding and what a beautiful gift it is to take care of your loved one.
I was months into my caregiving journey where I found myself sitting in my car at a local park crying and banging on the steering wheel. I was so tired, emotional and felt stuck. I wanted my old life back and just wanted to run away. I realized I didn’t take a breath and was in auto-pilot and put my life on hold.
I gained 20 pounds and wasn’t taking care of myself. I would lay my head on my pillow at night and couldn’t sleep. I would worry about my loved ones. I gave up my daily routines at the gym, coffee with friends and added more to my busy schedule.
People would remind me “don’t forget to take care of yourself”. I would smile and then get angry thinking - how do I do that when the two men in my life were diagnosed with Stage 4 cancers and they needed my support.
Fast forward 2 years. I was managing better by adding healthy routines in my life - journaling gratitude, morning walks and trying to eat healthy. But the caregiver stress was still there and was now chronic (meaning it was constant and has been there for a long time) doctor diagnosed me with IBS and depression. I gained an additional 10 pounds which added up to 30 pounds gained.
I started reaching out to other caregivers, support groups and reading about this caregivers stress and what it does to you. At that point, I knew I had to use my voice to share this....