Sue Franke

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...

For several years, I’ve shared my caregiver story with different cancer organizations, friends, and strangers battling cancer. As a quick summary, my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008...

Today the world is filled with instant gratification. We satisfy our needs quickly and get what we want when we want it. When you “need” something quickly, you go to Amazon, do...

My husband and I took a long bike ride around the neighborhood trail known as the Pennsy trail, named after the old Pennsylvania railroad that used to run through our...

This is about life's ups and downs and changes in our well-laid plans. Cancer certainly hits the top of the list of life events that make us stop in the...

We’ve been gardening for a few years, and each year we learn more about gardening and some of the history behind it.  One of our raised garden beds contains what’s...

A warrior can be defined as a person engaged in some struggle or conflict. But what’s the definition of a worrier? Broadly, it can be defined exactly the same. A worrier is...

Recently we celebrated my oldest daughter’s 46th birthday. It was a birthday we weren’t sure we would see since her diagnosis of breast cancer in late 2021. This year has...

There’s no doubt that cancer impacts everyone in the family. Kids are no exception. What really goes on in their minds when they hear someone they love has cancer? Every...

Caregiving away from home can present some challenges that are unique to taking care of someone outside your home. At home, you know where everything is, know how to operate...

It’s been many years since my husband was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. So many things have happened during that time, but the one constant is family and all the...

As caregivers we struggle, we cry, and sometimes we’re overcome with sadness or overwhelmed by the caregiving role. Yet, we march on. Is it okay, though, to have times when we’re not...

One, two, three strikes you’re out. Maybe in baseball, but not in this family, not in our battle with the opposing team: cancer. We’re not walking off the field defeated...

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the emotions and ups and downs that come along with the diagnosis of cancer, feelings that are shared by caregiver, patient, and anyone...

While there are many challenges associated with being a caregiver, I think probably the very first challenge is getting over the shock of knowing that your loved one has cancer...

We plan our days one day at a time, make agendas, look forward to vacations, and get up in the morning with expectations of what we’ll do and what will...