For Those Who Care
Join us for honest and authentic conversations about the profound experiences of long-term caregiving, grief, loss, and the journey of moving forward. This podcast delves into a personal journey spanning 27 years, marked by encounters with cancer, dementia, decline, and loss. Amidst these challenges, we also explore themes of hope, gratitude, and the transition from merely existing to truly living. Gain valuable insights and a deeper understanding of the caregiver’s life. Whether you’re a caregiver yourself or seeking to understand the caregiving experience, this podcast offers a supportive space. Remember, caregivers, there is life ahead of you, and you are not alone.
Episodes
In this poignant introduction, RuthAnn shares her deeply personal journey of becoming a caregiver after her husband, Lance, was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer just 15 months into their marriage. Over the course of 27 years together, she spent 25 of those years as his dedicated caregiver. This introductory episode offers a glimpse into their life, the challenges they faced, and the reasons behind sharing their stor...
In this episode, we dive into the heartwarming story of how Lance and RuthAnn met and the thrill of finding someone you want to spend all your time with, despite the challenges of living far apart. Through detailed anecdotes, listeners will gain insight into the early events that shaped their relationship and how these experiences enabled them to live a full and meaningful life together, despite the many obstacles the...
In this heartfelt episode, RuthAnn opens up about the transformative power of gratitude as she and Lance faced the challenges of cancer, dementia, and declining health. Through an intimate conversation with Jenna, RuthAnn reveals how their gratitude practice started and shares some of the unexpected sources of gratitude she discovered along the way. Tune in to hear an inspiring story of resilience, love, and the profo...
In this episode, RuthAnn and Jenna discuss the early events that shaped Lance and RuthAnn’s relationship and how their love helped them navigate life’s challenges. Jenna shares a poignant memory of a touching moment she witnessed between RuthAnn and Lance a couple of years before Lance passed away. Despite their fairy tale love, their story did not have a happy ending. Tune in to hear an emotional and inspiring conver...
In this episode, we follow Lance’s arrival in Denver and the beginning of his life with RuthAnn—though they often find themselves apart. Their journey takes a dramatic turn with Lance’s diagnosis of Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, followed by a second diagnosis of Erdheim-Chester Disease, leading to disability retirement in their 30s. This episode delves into the details of their 27-year journey together, providing a t...
In this episode, we continue the story as Lance leaves town to report for duty with the U.S. Navy. Despite the distance, Lance and RuthAnn spend countless hours on the phone, revealing their true feelings for each other. During a three-day visit, RuthAnn and Lance begin to plan their future together. Tune in to hear how their love deepens and their dreams take shape, even in the face of separation.
In this engaging episode of "For Those Who Care", RuthAnn and Jenna dive into the concept of true hope. Unlike blind optimism, true hope is a grounded, realistic force that helps you navigate life’s toughest challenges. RuthAnn shares her personal journey alongside Lance, revealing how they cultivated this type of hope in their lives. They explore the vital role of a supportive community in rekindling hope w...
In this heartfelt episode, we delve into the poignant and often humorous journey of Lance and RuthAnn as they navigated the challenges of dementia. RuthAnn shares her personal story of coming to terms with Lance’s diagnosis, the adjustments she made to support him, and the unexpected moments of joy and laughter that brightened their days. Join us for an intimate look at their journey, filled with love, resilience, and...
In this heartwarming episode, Ruthann and Jenna share the story of their unexpected friendship. Initially meeting on a professional basis, they seemed worlds apart. However, as they got to know each other, they discovered many shared connections. Jenna’s entire family soon became part of the journey, spending quality time with Ruthann and Lance. Through their story, they hope to inspire listeners to embrace friendship...
Join RuthAnn and Jenna as they dive into the world of self-care and why it is essential for your physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. In this episode they explore what self-care truly means and discuss what qualifies as genuine self-care. Listen in as RuthAnn and Jenna share their personal journeys to identifying true self-care practices and offer practical tips on how to incorporate it into even the busiest...
In this candid episode, RuthAnn shares some deeply personal experiences while caring for Lance, a journey that began when they were both in their 20s. Facing challenges that set them apart from their peers, RuthAnn and Lance struggled to find understanding and support from those around them. Many people only wanted to hear positive updates, leaving them feeling isolated and unable to share the true difficulties of the...
In this episode, RuthAnn talks about finding it difficult to maintain her identity when she was a caregiver, about being defined as just a caregiver, being defined as a widow now, and why those terms are bothersome.
RuthAnn and Jenna talk about how terms used to describe what people do can define them too narrowly. Experiences shape us but they do not tell the whole story of who we are.
Tune in to h...
Join RuthAnn and Jenna for a very personal glimpse into the healing journey of grief. In this emotional episode, RuthAnn shares part of her audio/video journal three years after Lance passed away, and an episode recorded a few months later that highlights some of the struggles of moving forward after long term caregiving has ended.
Grief is hard to comprehend until you have lost someone close to you. It turn...
Grieving the loss of the love of your life is difficult enough, but grieving during the pandemic was almost unbearable. The entire world was isolating and dealing with their own losses and grief.
RuthAnn shares the early days of how she dealt with her grief and the steps she took to move forward. She talks about some of the problems she experienced, including brain fog, feeling like she had suffered a traumat...
Join RuthAnn and Jenna as they talk about how much the world has changed in recent years. In this episode RuthAnn shares her experience of trying to get back to normal living after decades of caregiving. She and Lance were still listening to music on iPods and she didn’t even know about streaming music. The world seemed alien to her, and she experienced reverse culture shock as she began navigating her new life.
...
In this episode RuthAnn talks about her experience with Broken Heart Syndrome. She describes what it felt like and how she moved forward through the pain and grief. In the beginning she thought she would never get past it and wasn't sure if she even wanted to live.
RuthAnn shares how people stopped saying Lance's name and it began to feel like he never existed. Listen in as she and Jenna chat about...
In this episode RuthAnn opens up about what it feels like to move forward after living such an isolated life and feeling invisible behind Lance's wheelchair. People are often surprised at how intimidating newfound freedom can be.
RuthAnn and Jenna discuss the challenges in redefining your purpose and integrating your past with your future. Listen in to this conversation where they offer advice on how to...
In this episode RuthAnn and Jenna talk about some of the challenges of getting through the holidays while dealing with a disability, chronic illness, or loss of a loved one. It can be difficult celebrating with people who do not understand. RuthAnn shares some of the challenges she and Lance faced, and how she is coping with the holiday season after his death.
Listen in to RuthAnn and Jenna's conversatio...
In this episode RuthAnn talks about how she and Lance were able to find joy in the holidays despite all the challenges they faced with his declining health. She shares some of her favorite holiday memories, and that she finds joy in looking back on those times now.
Listen in to RuthAnn and Jenna's conversation about holiday traditions. RuthAnn talks about learning to adapt to the constant changes and Lan...
This episode is about having cheerleaders in your life and the positive impact they have. No, this is not about people with pom poms. But that image is a good way to think about what a cheerleader is, "I'm here to believe in you until you can believe in yourself."
What does it mean to be a cheerleader? It does not require being loud. It can be as simple as sitting with someone or walking quietl...
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