For my wife, a drive is never just a drive, because she struggles with a set of illnesses that are...
Category: Occasional Caregiving
So many of us are providing care to someone with an episodic chronic illness, who may not need much or any care between flares. We may be ready to jump in and provide care after surgery or respite care. Caregiving requirements and responsibilities can fluctuate significantly over time.
Meet Jack Carlson, The MacGuyver Of Adaptive Bikes
We had a lady that called that was selling the trikes that we sell, and she wanted to get out of...
So Sad Today
I've long been a fan of Heather Havrilesky, so when I saw her interview Melissa Broder, the woman...
Autistic New Yorkers Share Their Stim-Toy Stories With ‘Aftereffect’
After an autistic man's stim toy was mistaken for a gun, with tragic results, NPR's Aftereffects...
The Luck of Kokura
Many people fantasize about running away and leaving it all behind. In this short story by Gary...
Fishhooks
You are forgetful sometimes, but living in purgatory, unremembering what happened five minutes...
My boyfriend died
A few months after we began dating, I found out he was sick. He didn’t look sick then, like he...
Forever: Stories about unbreakable bonds
After coming out as a lesbian, Alison Smith was given a choice: she could be part of her family,...
In Honor of Mother’s Day: Stories about moms
A year after rehab, Jamie Brickhouse is struggling with a relapse as his mother starts to...
What it’s like to have a sister with special-needs, aka Boo-Bear
Ellery and Clare are sisters to Gilly, who has special needs. Gilly has high-needs autism meaning...
‘The community needs to step up’ says caregiver advocate
When Dr. Yona Lunsky's older sister was a toddler, it was recommended that she be placed in an...
This is How You Say Goodbye
Some of us pretend that we’re fine. And maybe we are. We grieve publicly, but mostly privately. It...
Can Love Sparked at Burning Man Last in Everyday Life?
My older brother, Bill, had lit himself on fire in front of the Veteran’s Hospital where he was...
What does caregiving feel like?
When people talk about overcoming disease or disability to live an incredible life, so often the...
The Condition that Shielded My Grandfather From Heartbreak
By the first week of July, a nurse called and said, Things are progressing. This seemed like...
This advice on ALZ changed my life
There's a lot of advice on how to care for someone with Alzheimer's without, well, losing your...
Papyrophobia
Nearly a decade after my father died, his last wife decided it was time to deal with his papers....
For Caregivers Everywhere
I have bipolar disorder. My husband is my caregiver. He didn’t sign up for this gig when we met,...
Queer Crip Love Fest: Who Will Be My Emergency Contact?
Recently, thanks to a case of crip burnout, I decided to “just go with it” when a specialist...
Back Home, at Home
Great caregivers are as skilled as an anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist takes over the...
It Was Like Nothing Else in My Life Up to Now
I was only three hours away, but I was absent for most of my mom’s sickness. I had class. I had...
My Mother’s Quiet Burden Was My Father’s Fading Mind
My parents [...] had just bought an apartment in Washington to be closer to me, so I could help...
Moved by Kim
When someone who needs help doesn’t accept it, you become infuriated, and then you become...
A Mother’s Heart-Wrenching Story Of Loss That Offers Hope For Recovery And Healing
A mother of five and grandmother to nine, married and divorced four times, and a clinical social...