Last week, we hosted our third annual Connecticut Fearless Caregiver Conference which was held in Branford, Connecticut.  The weather fates were with us as the only relatively decent day that week was the day of the event. Caregivers came from as far away as Chicago and Houston and represented a true mélange of life experiences and caregiving issues.  Dr. Don Dizon author of the book 100 Questions and Answers about Ovarian Cancer, joined us once again to help dispel the malinformation that we caregivers might have about clinical trials. Malinformation is my term for when what you know about a subject is not just wrong but also unfoundedly negative. If the questions and the audience evaluations were to be taken into consideration, Dr. Dizon went a long way to help us more clearly understand the process of clinical trials.

There was also a spirited audience participation segment during my session, where we discussed the Reverse Gift List.  I asked everyone to create their own list of gifts which they could ask friends and loved ones for during this holiday season, and to share his or her list with the entire assemblage.  As I walked around the room, some of the more traditional gifts were on people’s lists including;  Go to the grocery store, call your dad and me every week, come over to visit, and stop by when you go to the pharmacy to see if I need anything.  There were also some unexpected requests which I think go to the heart of the things we really need from our loved ones; requests which are more spiritual than specific.  “Be considerate.”  “Make me laugh”. “Be kind”, and my personal favorite, suggested by a Sister from the Catholic Diocese which I believe sums it all -“Be Sweet”.

Come to think of it, now I know why the weather was so good that day. Hey, it pays to have connections.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS.

 

Gary Barg
Editor-in-Chief
gary@caregiver.com