There is no school for caregivers. So where does the caregiver turn for help? I struggled through the first year of my husband’s “No Hope” rare cancer diagnosis in 2003. Through that time, I developed a new strength and a new title, The Lionhearted Kat.
I also created a lionhearted motto to keep me going and to share:
“Be Bold! Stay Strong! Spring to action!”
My husband survived the rare cancer, Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP). He lived seven years from the day he first saw a doctor and then died suddenly of a heart attack.
That first near-death experience brought reality to our home.
Gary often said, “Life is short and then you die. It is what you do with the minutes in between that count.” He used those last seven years to help make a difference in the lives of others. He also encouraged me to write, write, write.
At the beginning of Gary’s illness, I searched libraries and bookstores for help. I can still feel my desperation in a Barnes and Noble store when I said to the teen clerk, “I need a book for caregivers.”
“I’m not sure what that is, maybe try self-help.”
I found nothing. Later I wrote and published, “Capsules of Hope: Survival Guide for Caregivers.”
A rare cancer moved me to supply a need for others.
Not all of life is death and dying—today I’m determined to find something ridiculous to write about. A tidbit of laughter to share with others.
Above all I know this:
Nothing I write will be read by others and possibly make a difference in their lives, help them to find help and hope unless I share it or submit it.