Share your stories of gratitude for your caregiver(s)!

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Moderators
Moderators Member Posts: 25,912

November is National Caregiver Awareness Month. It's the start to a busy holiday season, and it's also a time when we're reflecting on the year. Are there people in your life who helped you through this year? We'd love to know what they said or did that meant so much to you. Share your stories of gratitude by posting in this forum Caregiver Stories or sending us a private message. If possible, please provide a photo as well, that represents you and/or your caregiver. We'll be putting your stories here Member Stories and featuring them in our Thanksgiving Newsletter to community members (Sign up here). Many thanks! Medicating

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  • Mariangel43
    Mariangel43 Member Posts: 136
    edited November 2016

    I want to thank five persons that were and still are special during my journey with cancer. First, my brother Nando; he has been all the time during appointments, surgeries, and mealtimes. He didn't go to work when surgeries were on Mondays or Thursdays (of course he called) even though he worked part time; he was there when I needed to move to hospital so early in the morning; he still goes with me to some appointments. He is special and a loving brother.

    The second person I want to thank is Mercedes, a friend and sister in faith; She has asked permission in her job to be with me at the hospital when I had surgeries (three down, one more to go). She has stayed until she has been substituted by another caretaker. And besides, she has heard without judging, even when she thought I was wrong, never imposing her opinion, just supporting me.

    The third person is Sarah. I have complied with my appointments because she has taken time from her busy schedule and have drove me to the doctor's office. The day after a big blackout, she took me to the doctor's appointment and she went three floors up to see if the doctor was in because I had a fractured foot. She calls me all the time and tells me she is available if I need her.

    The fourth person is Maritza, another friend and sister in faith. She is who drives me back from the hospital after the surgery. She prepares me coffee and a sandwich every Sunday and cooks for me from time to time.

    The last but not least is Nydia, she is the one who suffers the most because she is the one who stay during night when I am hospitalized. When I wake up from anesthesia I am cranky and hungry. She is the one who gets me the food, helps me to the bathroom, helps me to stand up and when I get upset, she tries to calm me.

    I have other friends but these ones have given me the most important gift of all: their presence in moments of need. I will be thankful all my life because these five persons have been near, have held me and most of all, they have not run away like some did when I told them I have cancer. Thank you Lord, because these friends and brother are beautiful jewels in my life.

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited November 2016

    Mariangel43, this is lovely! You are very fortunate to have them in your life!

  • Mariangel43
    Mariangel43 Member Posts: 136
    edited November 2016

    Yes, I am. The Lord and they are wonderful. Even if I die from this disease, which I will fight with my strength, I will have the best memories with me when I cross the valley of death.

    Thank you for this opportunity.

  • BabyTinks
    BabyTinks Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2016

    First of all, I thank God for keeping me alive.

    My care giver was my father during my treatment. My stepmum couldn't go with me to India where I had my treatment as she was having a high risk pregnancy at the time. And since I had lost my mum to cancer, my dad had to be my care giver. He had his moments of fear, but he never made me see those moments. My dad is my hero. I watched him stand by my side, worry while I was in the theater, sit by my side during my chemo sessions, take me to the washroom, cook for me, force me to try to eat, give me my drugs, pray me to sleep, pray with me. He gave his all to me. When I think back to all the trouble he had to go through being my care giver, I usually have tears in my eyes. He was super amazing. Today, I thank him specially for the love and the care and the encouragement.

    My entire family members were amazing as well. Especially as my elder sister too was having her own cancer treatment at the same time with me. She was my support system. Sisters in the fight. We rock! We conquered.

    Mercy my dear friend. You shocked me amongst all of my friends. You checked on me every day for the period of my treatment. You knew my treatment schedule as much as I knew it, my chemo days, my test days, my immune booster days, my every moment. You are the definition of true friendship. Love you girl.

    To every other fighter, don't relent in the fight. We are all conquerors. Champions. Fighters. Survivors. Don't give up. Don't loose hope. Together we can!

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited November 2016

    Beautiful, and very encouraging! Thank you very much for sharing your story with everybody here.

    Warm wishes,

    The Mods


  • Di2012
    Di2012 Member Posts: 925
    edited November 2016

    My sincere gratitude and love for my caregiver's support moves me to tears.

    When I was diagnosed only by a mammogram, (366 days from my previous clear mammogram), and several different biopsies, my tears were overflowing, a nervous wreck, with fear of the unknown and a thousand questions, but my caregiver "stepped up to the plate" and he was my ROCK.

    He knew when I was in pain, anxious, scared, and on the verge of tears.

    This caregiver drove me to every doctor's appointment and every surgery and waited for me to be ready to go home. He picked up all my prescriptions, and made sure I took them at the appropriate time. He shopped & cooked for me.

    I have known my caregiver for for 48+ years, and he has also been my husband of 48+ years. I love him.

    Di

    He also save my life this year, when I was very sick with what I thought was the flu. If he had not INSISTED in taking me to urgent care, I would probably would be dead.

    (Urgent care had me transferred to a hospital by ambulance, tested me, CT scanned, critical care and I was again transferred to a larger hospital by ambulance, with a critical care team waiting for my arrival and was there 11 days with Severe Sepsis ( kidneys, heart, lungs, liver were failing or shut down) and C-diff.

    image


  • gracie22
    gracie22 Member Posts: 229
    edited November 2016

    Such nice stories. Di2012--what a beautiful picture, your husband's strength and tenderness comes through!

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited November 2016

    Yes, so true! Thank you Di 2012. Both of you are lucky to have each other

  • coachvicky
    coachvicky Member Posts: 1,057
    edited January 2017

    My husband, Richard, said to me that he knew it would upset me when I lost my hair due to chemo. I replied that they had cut off my breasts but I could replace those. If, however, my hair does not come back I will be really p-od!

    He said he would make it his mission to not only save my life but also save my hair.

    He researched gel cap therapy.

    He bought the caps.

    He bought 20 pounds of dry ice the Sunday night before Monday's chemo and froze the caps.

    He hauled the caps in ice chest to our cancer treatment center and put them on me every 15 - 20 minutes during chemo recording the internal on and off temperatures.

    He saved my hair.

    I will be forever grateful. Having myhair made chemo do-able. I felt in charge.

  • cliff
    cliff Member Posts: 290
    edited February 2017

    there is no way I can repay the support of my family, my wife, Luisa, has taken me to appointments, helped out, and even changed out surgical packing (eeeyu) during an infection. my son Dan stayed with me in the hospital overnight even when he had to work all day. both kids learned the lymph rub and proper lymph wrap to help out also. one of the biggest things keeping me going in the dark days just after surgery, when I found out it was stage4 and looked that up on the internet, was when my daughter announced she was pregnant. our first grandchild. I took the family out to supper at a nice restaurant last weekend and thanked them again.

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited February 2017

    cliff, it sounds like you have a lot of people who really love you

  • irinabcra
    irinabcra Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2018

    This month marks the two-year anniversary of my first breast cancer diagnosis and just one year since the cancer spread beyond my breasts and to my bones. With four children — ages 3, 5, 7 and 11 — I can't begin to describe how it felt to be told that my cancer is incurable.

    Metastatic breast cancer is stage IV breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Someone with this cancer dies every 13 minutes in the U.S.

    Support Breast cancer research aid breastcancerresearchaid.org.uk

    As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to an end, I ask that you not forget about the 155,000 men and women in America living with metastatic breast cancer and fighting for their lives each day. While 20 percent to 30 percent of people initially diagnosed with early stage breast cancer will develop metastatic breast cancer, the funding to support research specific to this cancer is greatly disproportionate to the number affected. Only 7 percent of the $15 billion of funding for breast cancer research is specifically allocated to finding a cure for metastatic breast cancer.

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