John R., Caregiver Companion
John Razzano quickly slid into role of family caregiver when his wife, Mary, was diagnosed with our rare cancer in 2014. That meant playing head nurse, chief paperwork officer, cheerleader, and patient advocate. “During that time, I felt alone and isolated trying to navigate the physical, emotional, and psychological elements of Mary’s treatment. Mary succumbed to the disease in late 2015, and one year later my adult son was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. I shared caregiver duties with my future daughter-in-law and today, my son is healthy and in remission.”
During this time, John started a support group with Dr. Fran Baumgarten at UCSD for family caregivers of cancer patients to let people know a community exists willing to support and hold up its fellow caregivers. “We created the podcast, Caregiver Companion to let caregivers know they are not alone. We launched in December 2023, and we now have 10 episodes and publish every two weeks. I think it’s a very useful resource for caregivers. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.”Caregiver Companion, A Guide to the Family Caregiver of Cancer Patients is available via Spotify and Apple Music. Add to your playlists and leave a review.
Words cannot express the gratitude we have for our caregivers. Spouses, partners, siblings, parents, children, and friends step in to help us through challenging times laden with heavy physical demands and psyche-wrenching emotional waves. By their simple acts of compassion and practicality, we get well. Caregiving, short and long term, is no easy task.