Robyn F.

About Robyn F.

2-23-2012 My husband had the first of several strokes. November the same year he was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, December same year – Kidney Cancer. He had 1/3 of his kidney removed in January. Started Radiation treatments for Prostate cancer in March of 2013. Had between 6-8 more strokes that year. It was tough as I was working 50 hrs per week, trying to get him to treatments, ER visits when we expected a stroke had happened or was happening – my son at the time was 13 and was able to recognize the signs of a stroke. Long story story short – the Kidney removal got rid of the kidney cancer, Radiation treatments and expensive injections have kept the Prostate cancer at bay. It ended him coaching baseball for my son (who stopped playing) and it was a very long year with the surgeries and treatments and because of the strokes he still requires a lot of help as he is basically house bound. It’s nice when someone remembers that these challenges are just as hard (if not harder) on the caregivers who are still working, grocery shopping, Cooking all the meals, paying bills etc on top of giving the care that is required of their loved one! Everyone has a story and the cancer and the strokes just became a part of our “new normal” you have to hit it head on and make it a part of the routine. Everyone has hard days, but caregivers can’t show that it is getting them down, or that it is a lot to handle – we just smile and say “I’m OK’ and get on with the day.