You Can Only Go Forward: A Journey of Caregiving and Hope, Loss and Renewal

We each had our own idea of the perfect retirement until an unexpected diagnosis changed everything. Chuck loved being outdoors on his mountain bike, while I planned to get a doctorate in history. When we were told that Chuck had multiple myeloma, cancer treatment became the new focus of our lives as we adapted to our roles as patient and caregiver in an endless round of radiation, blood tests, chemotherapy, and medical appointments. Yet even as we waited anxiously for the next blood count, the next immunoglobulin result, we continued to make plans together, figuring out our "bucket list," choosing where to live, deciding on treatments. Then the day came when I was alone and still the road stretched out ahead. This is a personal story of the challenges we faced and the decisions we made during our seven-year journey and beyond.