At first glance Sawyer looks like most Golden Retrievers. Floppy ears, kind eyes and a never-stop-wagging tail. But then you step inside the home of Ron and Linda Baxter and see him in action helping Linda who has MS and is in a wheelchair. On any given day Sawyer can aid Linda in retrieving and carrying items, opening and closing doors, providing mobility assistance, and assisting with navigation. Plus, he provides emotional support to Linda as well as Ron who finds him invaluable in reducing the pressures and commitment of being a caregiver. This episode looks at caregiving through the eyes of Sawyer, the couple who embraces him and the organization who trains him. To learn more, go to insickness.org.

All caregivers reach a point where the responsibilities of caregiving bumps heads with the demands of life. It’s usually a combination of physical, emotional and/or mental exhaustion brought on by caring for a loved one over a prolonged period. That’s what happened to podcast guest Kate Washington, who cared for her husband as he endured a series of serious health setbacks. She tried to keep up with the increasing demands of his many illnesses, without adequate support or self-care. Until she couldn’t. It’s an experience she chronicled in her excellent book, Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America. Joining Kate on the podcast to offer a clinical perspective is Michelle Feng, a licensed psychologist and healthcare executive with a specialization in geriatrics, behavioral medicine, and caregiving. To learn more, visit insickness.org.

For this episode of In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving we took the podcast on the road. At the invitation of Pfizer, Inc. we recorded our podcast at the company’s New York City headquarters as part of their annual “Patients in Focus” week. Host, Paul Kidwell, had the pleasure of speaking with Pfizer’s VP, Global Patient Advocacy, Emma Andrews and Jason Resendez who is the CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. Among the topics discussed were the evolving role of caregivers, the need for more interaction between caregivers and the biopharmaceutical industry, and some of the needs that both groups are filling.

Stories of individuals living with and enduring the challenges of any disease never fail to move and inspire others. This is especially true when the illness becomes fatal, and life is shortened. Maria Middleton was an exceptional young girl when she was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer and only 15 when she passed away. I use the word exceptional because during her final months when she was experiencing the brunt of her illness, Maria took the time to touch and move others. She wanted to strengthen their own personal resolve and encourage them to never lose hope. She cared that much. Maria’s message continues to ripple around the world even after her death. Maria’s parents Susan and Brian share the profound story of their daughter on this episode of In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving. To learn more, go to insickness.org.

It takes courage and compassion to be a police officer. The same is true for a caregiver. Just ask Clifton Huffmaster whose day job finds him working as a detective in the Special Victims Unit with the Concord Police Department in Concord, California. This takes courage. He’s also a graduate from the Theological Union at Berkeley College from which he holds a PhD. Maybe that’s where compassion comes from. When Clifton’s wife Lauren was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer his world turned upside down as he assumed the unfamiliar territory as her caregiver. This is where he found the need to be both courageous and compassionate.

On this episode of In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving, Clifton and Lauren dive deep into the emotions of living with breast cancer in the shadows of uncertainty. They have gone from the depths of fear to the top of Joy’s Mountain. To learn more go to insickness.org.

For all caregivers, their lives are divided into two parts. Before diagnosis and After Diagnosis. This is particularly true for those who must manage one of the more insidious illnesses, Alzheimer’s Disease, where the changes taking place before the diagnosis and once the disease has become fully onset, are significant for the patient and care partner alike. Marty Schreiber is the former Governor of Wisconsin, author of, My Two Elaines. Learning, Coping and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver. The book chronicles Marty’s experience as primary support and caregiver for his wife of 60 years who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The book and this podcast provides a transparent look into the heart of the disease and its personal, physical and emotional impact on the patient and those courageous souls, like Marty, who provide unrelenting support for their loved ones. To learn more and find resources related to this episode, go to insickness.org.

For Josh Argall, life couldn’t get much better. He was a 25-year-old first-time father of, Devin, who quickly became the center of Josh’s universe. Josh’s world was rocked when he and Devin’s mother noticed that their three-year-old son was somewhat slow in reaching some of the physical milestones like crawling and walking that are typically associated with children his age. In the months following, Josh’s world changed dramatically as Devin went through numerous doctor visits and misdiagnoses. Finally, a specialist at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee diagnosed Devin as having Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare and progressive neuromuscular disease that, at the time, had few treatment options and little hope for a cure or long-term survival. The diagnosis shattered Josh’s world and sent him spiraling into a world of sadness, depression and despair.

On this episode of In Sickness. Men and the Culture of Caregiving, Josh shares how he went from the lowest of the lows to the realization that if his son was going to get better, he needed to face this adversity and join in the effort. Debra Miller, CEO and Founder of CureDuchenne, joins Josh in the discussion and provides valuable insight into the disease, and the patient and caregiver journey. To learn more and find resources related to this episode, go to insickness.org.

When you have a child diagnosed with any illness, you can only hope your efforts don’t require a lifetime commitment. The hope is for a short-lived illness that comes with a diagnosis followed by a cure. For former MassBio President, Bob Coughlin, he has lived through the in utero cystic fibrosis diagnosis of his son, Bobby, the physical challenges of caring for a young CF patient, and the constant involvement as a CF patient advocate raising awareness and all-important research money. Also, a time where CF treatments improved allowing Bobby to enjoy his teen years, finish high school, graduate college and begin his professional career. Despite this progress Bob has not remained stagnant and continues to advocate for patients with CF and other unmet medical needs. He also never stopped plying his most important role as his son’s caregiver where he remains committed, passionate, and always involved. Bob is joined on the podcast, Charlotte McKee, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Sionna Therapeutics, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, developing therapeutics to treat cystic fibrosis.

To learn more, visit insickness.org.