Martine Elias, Executive Director

When I moved from the suburbs of Toronto to the Eastern Townships of Quebec 18 months ago, I had two very good reasons. The first was to be closer to the Myeloma Canada head office. The second and most important, was to be closer to my mother who lives in Montreal. 

 

You see, my mother’s physical and cognitive health is declining all too rapidly, and as her sole caregiver, I needed to be able to take her to appointments and errands without it becoming a 3-day travel ordeal. 

With the move, caregiving is thankfully much more manageable. Over the past year, mom’s cognitive functions have been deteriorating at an alarming rate, and her quality of life is suffering. So, after some reflection over the holidays, my husband and I made the decision to move her closer to us so we could be just a few minutes away and she could easily visit our home for family dinners, fun visits and celebrations.

 

For her, being closer to loved ones will make a world of difference and will lift her spirits before the inevitable loss of her cognitive functions makes her memories all too distant. Over the holidays, I realized that being a caregiver isn’t just about ensuring our loved one’s physical well-being is cared for but also their emotional well-being.

Being a caregiver isn’t something taught in school or learned via self-help videos. It’s something we learn “on the job”. It’s both disruptive and sometimes difficult but is something we do because of our love for the people we care for, be it a parent, partner, child or friend. 

The thought process I went through over the holidays has given me a renewed appreciation for our myeloma caregiver community. Myeloma doesn’t take a break. It’s there 24/7. And this is why at Myeloma Canada, we want to be there for you too.

 

In the coming year, you will see more initiatives geared towards caregivers, among which a new InfoGuide to be published in the spring and more focus given to caregivers during our InfoSessions and National Conference.

 

A friend recently gave me a wise piece of advice. She said: “to take the best care of your mom, be sure to take care of yourself too”. I now share that advice with all the caregivers in our community. 

Martine Elias

Executive Director

Find out more about Myeloma Canada Virtual Support Group for Caregivers here .