Alyssa Middleton

Balancing Work and Being a Primary Cancer Caregiver

woman in front of computer holding her head in her hands from stress. Text overlay reads Working Full TIme While Being a Primary Cancer Caregiver

You’re doing the impossible, and there’s no manual on how to handle it all. Working full-time while being a cancer caregiver (or even working part-time) is a heavy load. Both roles demand everything you have. You’re on conference calls while mentally calculating medical bills. You’re sitting in hospital waiting rooms answering work emails. You’re exhausted, stretched thin, and wondering

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Managing Holiday Food Nausea During Chemotherapy Treatment

The smell of Thanksgiving dinner shouldn’t make you feel like you need to escape your own home. But when you’re going through chemotherapy, that’s exactly what can happen. Foods that once brought comfort and joy now trigger waves of nausea before you even take a bite. Your sense of smell is hypersensitive now. And the

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Managing Cancer Treatment Over the Holidays

Your next chemo appointment is on December 23rd. Handling cancer treatment over the holidays can feel so strange. While others chat about shopping or decorating the Christmas tree, your mind races: Can you reschedule treatment? Is it safe to travel between treatments? Is pumpkin pie safe to eat? Should you skip the holiday celebrations this

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Handling Unsolicited Cancer Advice From Your Family

Your family member just forwarded another post about a miracle cancer cure. Your eyes roll and frustration rises. Handling unsolicited cancer advice from family is exhausting. How do you deal with it? You’re exhausted from treatment, and managing everyone else’s opinions about your treatment. The people who love you most are somehow making one of

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Financial Help for Veterans With Cancer: Benefits & Programs

If you are a veteran facing cancer, your main focus should be on your health and family, not your bank account. Yet, thousands of military families face massive financial strain during cancer treatments. If the stress of medical bills is keeping you up at night, it’s time to call for backup. Getting financial help for veterans

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Feelings of Resentment as a Caregiver? It’s Normal!

You just snapped at the person you’re caring for, and now you feel terrible. Feelings of resentment as a carer are very common, yet no one wants to talk about it. You love the person you’re caring for, but the never-ending exhaustion of a cancer diagnosis and treatment can make you feel trapped, angry, and

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How to Help Someone With Cancer

The moment someone tells you they have cancer, your brain goes blank and your heart drops. You want to help, but you freeze. It’s not like there’s a class we all take on how to help someone with cancer. You’re terrified of saying the wrong thing. You don’t want to intrude, and honestly, you have

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Cancer Restaging: What It Means and Why It Matters

patient lying on MRI table with staff member prepping the machine. Text in a banner states'Cancer Restaging Explained: What It Is and Why It Matters'

Written by Dr. Alyssa Middleton, PhD in Psychosocial Oncology, former oncology social worker, researcher, and cancer caregiver. This post does not substitute for medical advice. When you were first diagnosed with cancer, your oncologist probably told you its “stage.” Staging is one of the different ways doctors figure out how big the cancer is and

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Free Head Wraps, Scarves & Wigs for Cancer Patients

The fear of losing your hair during cancer treatment is real and valid. Hair is often seen as a way of expressing ourselves and our personality. So when cancer treatment threatens to take your hair, the thought alone can be really upsetting. Even before hair starts to thin or clumps start falling out, many people

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How to Respond to Toxic Positivity When You Have Cancer

After your cancer diagnosis, you may be bombarded with well-wishers, encouraging you to keep a positive outlook. This can provide comfort and motivation to stay positive during the difficult days ahead. Encouragement is indeed needed on the cancer journey, and focusing on positive thoughts does improve mental health. So there is definitely a time and place

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