As my daughter's chemotherapy began, we dealt with a number of issues. Of course, first and foremost, was her health. Elaine had avoided the signals her body sent her, and she was finally transported by ambulance to the hospital in late August of last year. Severe anemia was her main problem, but her nurse practitioner told us early on the second day that an oncologist had been called. Dr. Chew confirmed the staff suspicions that Elaine had Hodgkin lymphoma. Now she had a leave of absence from work, and twelve treatments were scheduled, each occurring no sooner than two weeks after the previous one.
Six months of chemo were coming. I am blessed to have been able to stay with Elaine in Florida throughout the treatment, although it has caused us significant financial difficulties. My husband, Elaine's beloved dad, has come and gone from our house in WV several times. Our son and daughter-in-law, who has just given us our first grandchild, were in WV too.
I have been a snowbird since retiring in 2016. I normally come to Deltona before Halloween and return to WV in April. Elaine works from home, so I would spend my days running errands or doing housework while Elaine worked. I helped at a food pantry one morning a week, and I visited childhood friends and family in Cocoa on occasion. None of that was going on this year. I was pretty apprehensive about how we would handle this emotionally.
I love my public library here (and in Upshur too!), so I noticed the new display of books for caregivers. I looked at several, but none grabbed my attention until I spotted The Mindful Caregiver.
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