Sue Franke

As we go through life, there are lessons for us at every junction, every turn, every corner. We learn from teachers, we learn from friends, we learn from experiences and...

I try to always select a word of the year and focus on that word throughout the year. And like a resolution, you can really decide to make changes, big...

When someone you love is diagnosed with cancer, it can be a big shock to both of you. Yes, that’s quite an understatement. As a caregiver for my husband with...

The holidays bring a level of joy and excitement that we don't often experience the rest of the year. There’s the hustle and bustle of shopping for gifts, invitations to...

I’ve always anxiously waited with my husband as we watched for the latest blood test results to be posted showing whether his PSA was on the increase. We waited together...

We’ve all spent time in doctors' waiting rooms, sometimes for only a few minutes and sometimes much longer. We may have been alone or we may have had the company...

Am I a Pollyanna? According to Wikipedia, the Pollyanna principle is the tendency for people to remember pleasant things more accurately than unpleasant ones. A Pollyanna is illogically optimistic. It’s being...

I recently read several articles that discussed what percent of all cancers are inherited, passed down from members within the family structure. One article estimated that up to 10 percent...

Many articles have been written about being a caregiver. I’ll limit this article to addressing mental health and nutrition. My experiences are not all related to caregiving for a prostate...

Lately, as of my writing this, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed with everything associated with cancer and cancer care. Being a caregiver for my husband due to prostate and bladder cancer...

Selecting a surgeon or treating physician for a serious illness such as cancer can be a tough decision. Some decisions are made after careful research, while other decisions may be...

Most of us have experienced guilt at one time or another. Sometimes guilt is justified: when we do something wrong, when we didn’t do something that we should have, when...

They say there are two sides to every story. As a caregiver for my husband, a prostate cancer survivor for 14 years, I’ve witnessed our physical, mental and emotional challenges...

I’ve shared my thoughts on several occasions about being a caregiver. My husband still battles prostate and bladder cancer, and my oldest daughter is still fighting breast cancer. Being a...

It’s hard to know what to say to someone who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. I’ve heard so many comments that seem to be made without thought given to...

Everyone’s life is made of a multitude of emotions, reactions, feelings, and circumstances, but confronting a cancer battle as a caregiver brings a whole new direction to everything. To simplify...

I’ve been a caregiver for many years, starting with my husband 14 years ago when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Then several years later he was treated for bladder cancer. More...

How do you move forward when cancer is part of your life, either as a patient or a caregiver? How do you set aside the disease to immerse mind, soul, and...