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Cancer Diary: When the Treadmill Stops - Feeling Bad about Good Things

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  I never imagined that the end of such relentless days could feel like both a surrender and a liberation. For months, my world had been a blur of urgent calls, sleepless nights, and a relentless schedule—caring for adult disabled children living at home and independently but in need of support, running a business, and tending to Carl’s ever-growing needs as he battled cancer of unknown primary (CUP). Each day was a race against time: rushing to change his diapers, lifting him from his chair to the bed in the hoyer, and dashing to the pharmacy at a minute’s notice when a new symptom flared up. The demands were ceaseless, and the emotional toll was immeasurable. When Carl finally passed, I expected to grieve. Instead, I found myself caught in an unexpected and painful paradox: relief. There was an undeniable sense of release, a pause to the endless treadmill of caregiving that had consumed every waking moment of my life and more often than not, half of my night, with sleep deprivati...