Ambushed by Cancer: The Caregiver Tells Her Story

This memoir reveals the life of a family caregiver whose husband is diagnosed with cancer. It tells how she conquers her fears, pushes through disappointments, and unfailingly cares for her husband through his serious decline, chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. As the weight of caregiving, with its overwhelming requirements, saps energy and good will, she struggles with her quality of life, her time away from the things she loves, and the loss of the daily companionship she and her husband had.

During the two year hiatus between Frank's diagnosis of non-Hodgkin follicular lymphoma and the start of treatment, Frank and Helen travel the US in their RV, thrilled to be away from the cold of New England and happy to be drawn into the beauty of this country. But those carefree days quickly end in the Louisiana bayou, 2000 miles from home, when the pain in Frank's side worsens and can no longer be controlled with over the counter pain killers. They leave immediately for home.

Chemotherapy begins. At that time, Helen knows no one who is, or has been, a family caregiver for someone with a serious illness. At first, she feels confident they will conquer this cancer and continue their travels across the country, but as time passes she knows that may not happen. She worries she may not have the stamina to care for him and manage the household on her own. When the oncologist asks if she will be Frank's caregiver, she says Of course, but when he asks who will be her caregiver, she falls silent.