I was glad to read this article now. It turns I'm going to have a biopsy to determine if I have breast cancer. I'm also a caregiver for my husband in the early stages of FTD. And, BTW, next week I get the results of a brain MRI to see if I have a separate health problem in the works. It's a good idea for caregivers to keep up on their own health needs. How else can we be there for those who need us? And what do we do when the caregiver needs care?

I would love to see a doctor - but having been unemployed and working as a full time caregiver to my mom the last 2 1/2 yrs, I have no insurance. So even if they found something wrong, I couldn't afford to get it fixed. And I am one of many many thousands in the same situation.

I have a relative who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had been helping relatives look after a sister, and then, after the cancer came back, she helped with another relative. We feel that if she could have gotten an earlier diagnosis she may have lived longer. Now, they don't have much hope for more time.
When you take others to appointments all the time, you really do get sick of being in doctor's offices. I can see how the neglect can happen.

I appreciate the reminder to make sure I take care of myself first. Having regular checkups might not have changed this lady's ending. I know young (in comparison) people, who have had regular checkups and when something aggressive came along, they were gone quickly. But it doesn't mean we shouldn't take care of ourselves. We tend to put things off and then time passes quickly. Thanks for the reminder.