Welcome to the ninth episode of Care Partner's Compass: Navigating CRC where I talk about my wife Kristine's liver surgery.

Her liver surgery was in January 2022. There is a lot involved in a loved one getting to surgery, and care partners can help them prepare for this challenging time. I also talked about staying in the hospital room to help her (and help distract) as well as during recovery and healing.

Full transcription can be found on the website (http://carepartnerscompass.transistor.fm)

Host, producer/editor, and composer: Elsa Lankford

Kristine - You're so much more than chopped liver to me (ba dum bah!) ❤️

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Helpful links related to this episode:

• Colontown.org - this is the group where I met new great friends who were CRC patients or care partners.
• Preparing for Surgery - from the American Cancer Society is a helpful resource
• Prehabilitation Resources from Cancer Research UK
• Clinical research showing that prehabilitation for CRC surgery is beneficial - hopefully this is something that can become standard of care for any CRC surgery

• (01:38) - Getting scans to see if she could get to surgery
• (02:09) - It was a go!
• (02:36) - Getting over the fear of surgery
• (03:36) - Preparing for surgery
• (04:52) - "I am ready!"
• (05:27) - Getting the house ready
• (05:42) - Helpful for carepartner to get involved in cancer groups
• (06:26) - The day of surgery in January 2022
• (07:36) - 2nd opinions - they are so so important
• (08:15) - The day after the surgery
• (09:10) - Getting to stay in the room - and why it's so helpful for a carepartner to be there
• (10:03) - "Look over there!" how distractions can be helpful
• (10:42) - A couple of helpful items for after surgery
• (12:11) - The importance of walking
• (13:51) - Getting back to normalcy
• (14:30) - Meeting again with the liver surgeon
• (15:21) - Surgery is so important