For a patient, coping and coming to terms with a chronic or terminal illness is beyond difficult or easy to accept. For a spouse caregiver, it can be a labor of love yet daunting, frustrating, scary and filled with sorrow and sometimes denial. Author, Suzanne Marriott shares her journey caring for husband, Michael for ten years after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Suzanne lovingly discusses her experiences and talks about how Michael's diagnosis allowed him to explore different sides of himself as well as take their relationship to an entirely new level. Suzanne shares that mistakes are inevitable in caregiving but encourages others not to give up. She also reflects on how she coped with Michael's diagnosis as well as how she found a new appreciation for their partnership in the midst of her own cancer diagnosis. Her inspirational story is beautifully chronicled in her new memoir, Watching for Dragonflies, now available in bookstores and on Amazon.

Suzanne holds a BA in English from UC Berkeley, an MS in education from Cal State University, Hayward (now Cal State University, East Bay), and an MA in transpersonal psychology from The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (now Sophia University). She is a member of The Institute of Noetic Sciences, Sierra Writers, and the National Association of Memoir Writers. She lives in an ecologically conscious cohousing community in the Sierra Nevada foothills. For more information on compassionate caregiving, visit Suzanne at www.suzannemarriottauthor.com

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction To The Desperate For A Diagnosis Podcast And Guest Suzanne Marriott

00:02:58 Suzanne Marriott's Debut Book 'Watching For Dragonflies' Set to Release in June 2023

00:06:42 Uncovering the Telltale Signs: A Caregiver's Journey with Multiple Sclerosis

00:09:29 A Diagnosis of MS and the Journey Forward

00:11:34 A Journey of Learning, Coping, and Accepting

00:17:48 Finding Your Voice: Standing Up

00:22:44 Firing a Doctor: A Caregiver's Journey to Advocate for Proper Medical Care

00:25:04 From Hospital to Home: A Caregiver's Transformative Journey with Michael

00:28:25 Finding Spiritual Strength in Caregiving: A Conversation with Suzanne Marriott

00:30:34 From One Step at a Time to Living Life to the Fullest: A Caregiver's Journey

00:33:25 Finding Support in Caregiving: How a Therapist and Hired Help Made All the Difference

00:37:43 Finding Strength in Nature: Michael and the Dragonflies

00:41:36 Finding Your Voice: The Power of Discernment and Intuition in Healthcare Advocacy

00:44:05 Finding Strength in the Face of Adversity: A Caregiver's Journey Through Cancer Diagnosis

Key Takeaways:1. Suzanne and her husband were always looking for ways to continue doing the things they love, even after he became wheelchair-bound.

2. They were in denial about his imminent death, despite multiple hospitalizations.

3. Suzanne's caregiving journey with her husband transformed their relationship and increased their intimacy.

4. Suzanne underwent personal transformations through working with dreams and becoming more assertive in advocating for her husband's care.Resources:

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