Caregivers

"When I found Smart Patients it was like someone had thrown a rope to a drowning person."

"Having a safe, supportive, non-judgmental community to vent my angst, to brainstorm ideas, to just share with was a Godsend."

"I was moved by the stories that fellow advocates shared."

"Sincere gratitude to everyone who keeps the lights on at Smart Patients and best wishes for the holidays."

"My wonderful memories of him are being replaced with the weariness of caring for him....this person who has slowly taken my greatest love."

"I visit the site almost daily since it's inception."

"It just exemplifies how we all work together with individuals such as yourself guiding and adding so much to what we can be!"

"Let’s be active, rather than passive when we visit our doctors. (But I sometimes get the impression they only have a minimal amount of time, only cover the basics, and at a wellness visit I wonder if there’s even a code for that?)"

"You’ve come to the right place to air your concerns, brainstorm ideas, gather information from our combined, collective experiences, and it’s a safe place away from family to vent your angst."

"I would take time to actually live life, not just get through the day. It could be watching a movie, doing a craft you both enjoy or what brings you back to living today."

"Catching cognitive impairment and other brain health problems in their early stages may make them easier to treat or fend off. This is an important medical consideration, yet it seems hardly anyone has a doctor who brings it up."

"We have ears to hear hearts to care, and experiences to share."

"Yes, you absolutely have your hands full, and it is no wonder you feel overwhelmed."

"It's a club none of us ever wanted to join, but we are all here for each other."

"What is it about helping others, as we do here at Smart Patients, that makes us feel a warm glow of satisfaction?"

"Thank god for this space, I say it all the time."

"As women, we usually feel like we have to take care of everyone else and carry on amid the exhaustion we feel. We tend to feel guilty for not being able to do it all."

"But as a caregiver, I no longer view going away on vacation with my husband as relaxing or fun. It is stress from the moment of reservation made."

"I can certainly empathize with you, for many of us have carried similar loads, while wondering how on earth we can ever find a moment’s peace to restore our souls."

"I truly believe you have the best chance for your body to fight the cancer cells when you are less stressed."