MSI Press Blog

  I recently came across a wonderful post on Caring Bridge , a site that helps critically ill people and their caregivers establish to communicate with family members (so as not to have to repeat the same information many times). It also has a lot of other ways of providing support and supportive information. Among that information I discovered this great piece that I wish I had seen when I was the stressed-out caregiver for my husband and MSI Press typesetter, Carl Leaver .  Here is the post. Following the post is a list of 8 tips for managing spouse caregiver burnout -- and boy, are they great, starting with #1, "understand that your feelings are valid." You can read the tips HERE . What Is Spouse Caregiver Burnout? Spouse caregiver burnout is a state of exhaustion and stress that can affect people who provide ongoing care to their partner. Also called caregiver stress or caregiver fatigue, it’s something that can affect someone physically, mentally and emotionally. Unfortu

  Cancer, like other debilitating illnesses, require immense effort from those taking care of the cancer-stricken patient. This effort can be redoubled and accompanied by a range of personally invested emotions when the caregiver is a relative, particularly a spouse. Cleveland Clinic says"  Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that happens while you’re taking care of someone else. Stressed caregivers may experience fatigue, anxiety and depression.      To that, I would add anger -- followed by remorse. In waves and cycles. Never feeling good about yourself. And then feeling guilty from the sense of relief after the cancer-stricken relative dies. Being able to understand oneself and forgive oneself can lead to stabilization and at least some aspect of comfort (unfortunately, often months after the patient has died). This article can help wtih the understanding and forgiving part:  Caregiver Burnout: What It Is, Signs You’re Experiencing It, an

photo: care.com When Carl was dying from Cancer of Unknown Primary , we were facing the question of how to handle his 24/7 needs for care. Everything was compressed during that time -- decisions had to be made without the time to reasonably research them and rationally make them. (That is the primary reason MSI Press established Carl's Cancer Compendium : to pull together a lot of the basic, time-consuming research that could be accessed with just a couple of clicks).  When we decided to try chemotherapy, he became not eligible for hospice care. IMHO, there is a problem with the binary system behind hospice availability. Decide to work on dying - hospice is available. Decide to work on living -- you're on your own. Yet, this is exactly the time that patients and their families need help; being on your own is certain to result in a range of emotions, including anger and frustration, as well as poorly informed decisions, burnout from family member who cannot do everything and be

  Excerpt from A Movie Lover's Search for Romance (Joanna Charnas) THE NEW GUY   You don’t always know when you’re experiencing burnout until you’re hip deep in its muck. You also don’t comprehend how completely addicting Internet dating is until you’re hooked. So if you find yourself burned out from Internet dating, as I did, the prudent thing is to give it a rest. Although I planned to take a break from Internet dating, I’d become too addicted to stop. It didn’t matter that I was emotionally exhausted from too many blind dates. Which is when Simon entered my life.  I met Simon on an Internet dating site. When we first spoke on the phone, he asked if I’d meet him that evening at a party given in honor of a couple of his friends. Simon explained that his schedule was booked for the rest of the week, but he wanted to meet me right away. The party started in mid-afternoon, and assuming I wouldn’t be enslaved and forced into the sex trade, I agreed to rendezvous at his friends’ house

  Many thanks to Darius Husain, co-author of  Road Map to Power ,  for this guest post! Looking to stop the “summer slide?”  Start by challenging an outdated tradition.   As the last fireworks celebrating our nation’s independence bursts into the air, parents with school aged children across the country turn to one another and ask the question: “Now what?”  With summer break not even at the halfway mark, many families have already exhausted their once optimistic to-do list.     Parents are not the only ones feeling the heat.   What is the most joyful phrase for every student, “schools out for summer,” creates headaches amongst education experts concerned about academic growth and development.  These advocates are troubled by the negative impacts of the “Summer Slide” and the significant learning loss that takes place while students are away from their classrooms.    Yes, for some young people, summers are filled with family trips, camps, experiential activities, internships