Brian, 42, was born with Marfan syndrome, a disorder that can cause cardiovascular and skeletal problems, but so far, his condition hadn’t slowed him down. In addition to his job as IT director for a ...
Gaining Control Over Diabetes, Gaining a New Lease on Life
It was Jim’s* fourth trip to the ER in less than two months: blood glucose levels of 400+, diabetic ketoacidosis, treatment, and discharge. At age 75, Jim was riding the ‘rollercoaster of health care crises,’ ...
COVID and Social Isolation: The importance of staying connected, inspired, and safe
In February, a month before Utah’s “Stay Safe, Stay Home” order went into effect, I took my 89-year-old mother to her annual Medicare wellness visit. She aced the usual battery of tests—blood pressure, oxygen levels, ...
Balancing COVID Concerns with Health Care Needs
Last spring, escalating COVID-19 cases prompted us to delay my 89-year-old mother’s cataract surgery until she couldn’t tell the difference between her cat and a couch pillow. Finally, when we felt reassured by the safety ...
Inspiring Creative Ways to Celebrate the Holidays Safely
For most Americans, the holidays conjure up festive images of family and friends gathered together, sharing favorite traditional foods, playing games, and exchanging gifts. While it’s hard to imagine a different sort of holiday celebration, ...
Expanding the Definition of Independence, Wherever You Call Home
My parents expected to live out the rest of their lives in their beloved home, exiting “feet first,” as my dad liked to say. Then life happened. My mom’s osteoarthritis made it hard to walk ...
Preventing Family Caregiver Burnout: The need to take care of yourself when caring for a loved one
Six years ago, a close friend of mine gently suggested that I might be suffering from family caregiver burnout. Evidently, she’d noticed a shift in my mood. True, I was easily irritated by trivial inconveniences ...
Finding Inspiration in the Midst of a Pandemic
This has been an exceptionally difficult year on so many levels, yet even in the midst of COVID-19, we’re surrounded by examples of the resiliency of the human spirit in action. We wanted to find ...
Finding Inspiration In Times of Uncertainty – You’ve Got This!
One thing is certain – you can still find inspiration around you, even in isolation or quarantine. Right now, holding onto what inspires you may just be the motivation we all need for a fresh ...
Accessing Your Loved One’s Information
I shared in an earlier blog the unsettling feeling of flipping through my mother’s desk drawers and file cabinets in what felt like an invasion of her privacy seeking important information we needed to know. ...
