She’s a clean machine As a devoted caregiver for my wife Anne, I find myself constantly hovering, attentive to her every need – sometimes to an excessive degree. Her battle with terminal brain cancer has left her quite wobbly on her feet, requiring me to be vigilant at all times. Whether it’s guiding her through..
Love, loss and legacy: From neurosurgeon to patient, from wife to caregiver I thought you might be interested in this story that was recently posted concerning Gina Gentili, whose husband, Dr. Fred Gentili (a renowned neurosurgeon practicing in Toronto) passed from glioblastoma: https://www.braintumour.ca/stories/love-loss-and-legacy-from-neurosurgeon-to-patient-from-wife-to-caregiver/. Gina speaks a lot about caregiving and shared resources for other caregivers. ..
The Indomitable Anne and the Great Hat Rebellion Or, How to Outwit a Vicious Canadian Winter with Sheer Stubbornness Let me tell you about my beloved Anne, whose spirit is as unyielding as the Canadian Shield and whose relationship with winter headgear is more complicated than a double-double at Timmies. Most mortals, upon being handed..
Anne’s Zen Transformation Free Verse on Illness and Becoming Anne’s face, once sharp as the wind against January skin, has softened, a gentle moon swelling beneath the touch of medication. Her body rounds, moves differently in the world, each curve a quiet rebellion against past angularities, as if the cosmos itself has decided to cradle..
Les proches aidants: un appel à l’aide Une pétition a été lancée auprès du gouvernement canadien afin qu’il apporte son soutien aux proches aidants, pour les raisons et selon les conditions décrites ci-dessous. Agissant comme proche aidant peut être un travail à plein temps. La tâche est intimidante, parfois impossible à accomplir. En plus..
Family caregivers: A cry for help The Canadian government is being petitioned to provide support for family caregivers, for the reasons and according to the terms and conditions outlined below. Being a family caregiver can be a 24/7 job. The task is daunting, sometimes undoable. In addition to providing benefits and compensation, governments..
Anne’s New Aroma* A Free Verse Poem on Scent, Memory, and Love Anne’s aroma has changed, a peppery edge now hovers in the air, not in the least unpleasant, but absolutely insistent, a rich pungency, as if the world itself has pressed close to her skin. There is yeast there, too, the scent of bread..
A Massage of Love For Anne, the medium is the massage, leaving a message of love. My hands know what your voice cannot shape: gentle circles carved into the nape where pain sits heavy, and hope is feather-light. The pads of my thumbs learn the language of the body, the subtle sighs, the way..
Elegy for Anne Dignity in the Smallest Items and Rituals She wears a silver pin each morning, a glint of memory pressed against her collar, where hands tremble but do not falter. Glioblastoma gnaws at her edges: balance lost, hours drifting like loose threads, the map of home blurred in winter fog. Still, Anne combs..
Attending a Séance, London, Ontario, January 1969 When I was 16 years old in Grade 12 at Oakridge High School in London, Ontario, I first experienced puppy love, with all the attendant tail-wagging and barking. The year was 1969. The object of my baying and howling was a Grade 11 student named Cathy Reed, who..