Caring Bridge

[VRBeauty]

I just learned about Caring Bridge, a modern way for people who are dealing with health challenges to reach out to friends and family and provide updates to the whole group rather than one-at-a-time, and for friends and family to show their support. You can find out more about it here: http://www.caringbridge.org/ in the event that you or someone you love can use this service.

(No, I'm not dealing with a health challenge. I found out about this because a someone I know using this site as he battles a serious illness, and I wanted to share the resource with you. But thank you anyway, pre-emptively, for your concern! )

 

[Dreamer_D]

My friend used the site to keep people updated when her daughter went through Chemo. It was invaluable for her, both as a diary of sorts and as a way of getting support when she was away from home.

 

[packrat]

My coworker used it when her daughter was diagnosed w/leukemia. It's such a great way to keep everyone informed.

 

[Regular Guy]

My coworker used it when her daughter was diagnosed w/leukemia. It's such a great way to keep everyone informed.

Ditto a coworker of mine, to keep us up to date with his son. A good thing.

Ira Z.

 

[centralsquare]

A friend's mother had cancer and used that website. It's such a great way to keep everyone informed, share what's going on but not feel like people are intruding.

 

[rainwood]

We are using Caring Bridge for my husband who has CLL and is having a stem cell transplant today. I can't believe I'm haveing to write that sentence. I needed a little diversion before we left for the hospital and here's this very timely post. I wasn't sure about doing Caring Bridge initially, being a rabid anti-Facebook person, but I'm really glad I did. It's informative for friends and family, and a good way for me to sort of unwind at the end of each day.

 

[VRBeauty]

Leukemia, Rainwood? I'm very sorry to hear that. All the best to your husband, his medical team, and you!

 

[Amys Bling]

Someone I went to HS with used this site when she was 7onths pregnant and he baby stopped moving and theybfeared thevworst. She had an emergency Csection and the wrote about that journey up to present day with the hours and hours of weekly therapies for her little girl and her progress.

 

[AGBF]

We are using Caring Bridge for my husband who has CLL and is having a stem cell transplant today. I can't believe I'm haveing to write that sentence. I needed a little diversion before we left for the hospital and here's this very timely post. I wasn't sure about doing Caring Bridge initially, being a rabid anti-Facebook person, but I'm really glad I did. It's informative for friends and family, and a good way for me to sort of unwind at the end of each day.

I'm really sorry you're facing that challenge, rainwood. I also hope that the brand new CLL research proves as fruitful as the best hopes for it has suggested!

I do not use Facebook, either. However, I had a close friend who died of lung cancer. When it was diagnosed, her husband set up a CaringBridge site for her. Checking into it became a part of my everyday life, just as checking into Pricescope was. Although I had not, previously, known all of her friends and relatives-she had tons of them from every period of her life-I got to know them from the CaringBridge site. She was a brilliant, amusing woman who told hysterically funny tales about her cancer treatments in the journal portions of the site. Her friends shared anecdotes about their lives; their past and present interactions with her; their own families and health and pets in the "guestbook" section. It became a real community. When she died, it was hard for those of us who remained to let go of each other! We felt we had all been in something together. It was really a great, suppotive group. I know it was my dear friend's lifeline.

I like to think of it, because it reminds me of her and her wit and zany brilliance! Oh! And we did support it financially, too! Friends were asked to do that in honor-and later in memory-of the person for whom the site was created.

Deb/AGBF