Show Notes
Imagine stepping into a marriage knowing you're immediately going to become a full-time caregiver. That was Hope Cross's reality when her husband, Steve, was diagnosed with ALS while they were dating. For nine years, she cared for him up until his passing, and it was a journey filled with love, challenges, and deep emotions. Hope has openly shared the raw and unfiltered sides of caregiving, offering a rare glimpse into the realities many face, but sometimes don't discuss.
In this episode, Hope shares how she navigated life after loss, rediscovering herself and ultimately launching a therapy practice focusing on family caregiving, trauma, PTSD, grief and anxiety. We also explore the powerful role of art, nature, friendships, writing, and even our own noses in the healing process.
Show notes with product and resource links:
Receive the podcast in your email here:
Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal:
For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth:
https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/
The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast:
More from Happy Healthy Caregiver
Michael Bankowski began his caregiving journey at 11 years old, caring for his grandmother through cancer, and later spent more than a year and a half caring for his mother through stomach cancer. Altogether, he spent more than a decade as a family caregiver — experiences that ultimately shaped his life's work as a nursing home administrator, home care agency founder, and today as the CEO of Prosperous Robotics, where he is developing ROSE, a caregiver robot designed to protect and empower — not replace — the people who care for our loved ones.
Travis Long — known to most as Trap Gambino — is a husband, father, entrepreneur, media personality, and motivational speaker whose caregiving journey is as powerful as it is personal.
Marti Wymer is a family caregiver, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of Spoonful of Comfort — a company inspired by her own experience caring for her mother through cancer while raising two young children and navigating the distance that made it all even harder.
Christy Byrne Yates is a sandwich generation caregiver, author, and retired school psychologist who worked with young adults with disabilities.
Susanna Peace Lovell is a single mother, advocate, and certified professional life coach who has spent over 20 years raising her daughter Arizona, who lives with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, anxiety, and multiple food allergies. She is also a support caregiver for her father, who has undergone several brain procedures — making her caregiving journey multilayered.