Welcome to the eleventh episode of Care Partner's Compass: Navigating CRC where I talk with my best friend for over 30 years, my wife Kristine about healthy distractions.

Kristine was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer on her 49th birthday in July 2021. We have had to come up with a lot of coping mechanisms to deal with this cancer diagnosis, and we have a number of healthy distractions. From walking, puzzles, dancing, doing fun spontaneous things, exercise, meditation, and sometimes just being silly.

Full transcription can be found on the website (http://carepartnerscompass.transistor.fm)

Host, producer/editor, and composer: Elsa Lankford

Kristine - You are incredible 💙

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Helpful links related to this episode:

• Cancer and Careers - an organization who works to empower and educate cancer survivors about how to thrive in the workplace
• www.eventbrite.com - Easy way to find in-person and online classes, workshops, and events all over the world. You can sort to find free and online.
• MSK Integrative Medicine at Home - Meditation and exercises classes online (more services are available if you can be in person). This is a low cost membership for live online classes or you can do the free classes that are posted on the website.
• Wellness House (Annapolis, MD) - Offers both in-person and online exercise and art classes for free.
• Wellness House (Chicago, IL) - Offers both in-person and online exercise and art classes for free.
• https://www.hirschwellnessnetwork.org/#Classes - Offers both in-person and online exercise and art classes for free. The in-person classes are extensive if you live nearby.
• www.Open.Spotify.com - Listen to Kristine's playlists or create your own and dance!

• (01:15) - What is a healthy distraction and why are they helpful?
• (02:39) - When Kristine started adding in healthy distractions
• (04:53) - Healthy distractions as exercise for the mind and body
• (06:58) - Distracting sports of one sort or another
• (07:54) - Spontaneous Fun map
• (08:55) - Work can be a distraction, but if you do stop working, try one new thing a day
• (11:39) - Music and dancing as a healthy distraction
• (14:45) - The importance of meditation
• (16:15) - Healthy distractions can involve friends and family. Offer to do fun and distracting things with your people in cancer land

Welcome to the tenth episode of Care Partner's Compass: Navigating CRC where I talk with friend and fellow stage 4 care partner Liz from Vancouver.

Liz's daughter Haley was diagnosed with advanced stage 4 colon cancer in June 2022 at the age of 19. Liz talks about all the different ways she and her family were able to say yes to opportunities and to make memories with Haley. As Liz explains, cancer makes life and planning so uncertain, so you need to take every opportunity that you can.

Kristine and I had been planning on visiting Liz later in the summer, but when Kristine needed to go back to chemo, we pivoted (again) and are so glad that we said yes, let's travel across the country next week (and that Liz said yes to being our incredible tour guide).

Full transcription can be found on the website (http://carepartnerscompass.transistor.fm)

Host, producer/editor, and composer: Elsa Lankford

Kristine - I love you. 💙

Please remember to share, subscribe, like, and rate the podcast.

Helpful links related to this episode:

• Colontown.org - they have a great Stage 4 carepartners group where care partners can find support from people who understand what it's like
• Melanie's Way - a Canadian organization that helps fund wishes to Canadian women with stage 4 or recurrent cancer
• She Defines Strength - a Canadian group that empowers young women with cancer

• (03:27) - What does "say yes" mean to you?
• (07:23) - The Three Month Schedule
• (08:34) - People in cancerland can't really plan too far ahead - be flexible
• (10:44) - Haley's diagnosis at 19
• (13:52) - Haley's impact on her medical team
• (17:30) - As a carepartner, saying yes for you
• (21:16) - Haley's Big List of Life

Welcome to the ninth episode of Care Partner's Compass: Navigating CRC where I talk about my wife Kristine's liver surgery.

Her liver surgery was in January 2022. There is a lot involved in a loved one getting to surgery, and care partners can help them prepare for this challenging time. I also talked about staying in the hospital room to help her (and help distract) as well as during recovery and healing.

Full transcription can be found on the website (http://carepartnerscompass.transistor.fm)

Host, producer/editor, and composer: Elsa Lankford

Kristine - You're so much more than chopped liver to me (ba dum bah!) ❤️

Please remember to share, subscribe, like, and rate the podcast.

Helpful links related to this episode:

• Colontown.org - this is the group where I met new great friends who were CRC patients or care partners.
• Preparing for Surgery - from the American Cancer Society is a helpful resource
• Prehabilitation Resources from Cancer Research UK
• Clinical research showing that prehabilitation for CRC surgery is beneficial - hopefully this is something that can become standard of care for any CRC surgery

• (01:38) - Getting scans to see if she could get to surgery
• (02:09) - It was a go!
• (02:36) - Getting over the fear of surgery
• (03:36) - Preparing for surgery
• (04:52) - "I am ready!"
• (05:27) - Getting the house ready
• (05:42) - Helpful for carepartner to get involved in cancer groups
• (06:26) - The day of surgery in January 2022
• (07:36) - 2nd opinions - they are so so important
• (08:15) - The day after the surgery
• (09:10) - Getting to stay in the room - and why it's so helpful for a carepartner to be there
• (10:03) - "Look over there!" how distractions can be helpful
• (10:42) - A couple of helpful items for after surgery
• (12:11) - The importance of walking
• (13:51) - Getting back to normalcy
• (14:30) - Meeting again with the liver surgeon
• (15:21) - Surgery is so important