Episodes

You’re standing in the pharmacy and can’t remember what questions you meant to ask. You’re staring at a bill but can’t process the numbers. You’re not lazy. You’re not failing. You’re in a state of caregiver cognitive overloa...

Have you ever found yourself panicking in a grocery store or crying in a hospital bathroom stall and then scolding yourself to “get it together”? You’re not broken. You’re not weak. You’re activated . In this episode, Charlot...

What does “holding it together” really look like when you’re a cancer caregiver? Spoiler: It’s not color-coded calendars or calm conversations with doctors. It’s clenched jaws, shallow breathing, and crying behind a locked ba...

There’s a moment in every caregiver’s journey when you quietly break. Not in a dramatic, movie scene way... no tears on the floor with a spotlight overhead, but in the grocery line, in the middle of the night, or while washin...

To the medical teams walking alongside us, this is what every caregiver wishes you knew. In the final episode of the "Things I Wish You Would Know" series, Charlotte speaks directly to oncologists, nurses, and care providers....

To neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and community members of caregivers, this episode is for you. When a caregiver disappears from the potlucks, PTA meetings, or yoga classes, it’s not because they stopped caring. It’s becau...

To the families of cancer caregivers, this is what we need you to understand. When caregiving enters the picture, family dynamics shift in ways no one expects. In this episode, Charlotte speaks directly to the family members ...

What you always wanted your friends to understand about caregiving that you didn’t think you could share with them. When words feel too hard to find, this episode becomes your voice. It speaks directly to the friends in your ...

When words fail, this episode speaks for you. Designed to be shared with the person you care for, this emotional message puts voice to everything you’ve struggled to say out loud. From invisible emotional labor to longing for...

You are not just a caregiver. You’re still you. In this moving finale to our Midyear Reset series, Charlotte guides us through the quiet but powerful work of remembering who you are outside of caregiving. Through tender stori...

Find your free Scanxiety Toolkit at https://www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools Grief isn’t just for funerals. In this episode, Charlotte explores how caregivers can feel deep love and overwhelming grief at the same time. Wi...

What is survival mode really costing you? In this eye-opening episode, Charlotte breaks down the hidden toll that caregiving stress takes on your mind, body, and identity. You’ll discover how chronic stress reshapes your brai...

Asking for help can feel like a full-body cringe, especially for cancer caregivers who are used to doing it all. What if the very thing you’re avoiding is the one thing that could ease your load? In this episode, Charlotte un...

In this kickoff to our Midyear Reset series, Charlotte gently guides caregivers through a powerful reflection: what happens when you finally get a moment to yourself… and don’t know what to do with it? If you're feeling numb,...

What if skipping your loved one’s appointment wasn’t neglect, but a radical act of love? In this episode, Charlotte shares a gut-wrenching story that turned into a breakthrough for sustainable caregiving. If you’ve ever felt ...

In this powerful bonus episode, host Charlotte Bayala joins forces with Bob Coughlin and Paul Kidwell of In Sickness: Men and the Culture of Caregiving to shine a much-needed spotlight on male breast cancer. Survivors Arvind ...

Not all difficult cancer moments happen in the scan room. Sometimes, they happen in the doctor's office. When a dismissive tone, a careless comment, or an unwillingness to collaborate shakes your confidence what do you do? In...

You became a caregiver—but no one told you. In this episode, Charlotte explores the quiet, unseen moment you stepped into caregiving. Not when the doctor said, "It's cancer," but in the silent shift that happened inside you. ...

In this episode, Charlotte digs into the heartache and frustration caregivers often feel around the idea of “making time to connect.” If you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or wondering if connection is even worth it, this episode...

When cancer rewrites the story of your life, how do you hold onto the parts of it that mattered most? In this powerful episode, Charlotte guides caregivers through the grief of losing the ability to enjoy life with the person you care for the...

Download your free Scanxiety Guide at When the stress of upcoming scans weighs heavy, how do you stop the spiral of fear before it takes over?  In this episode, Charlotte shares the powerful "S" in her ESCAPE framework: Shift Your Focus....

Download your free Scanxiety Toolkit at When was the last time you made a wish, for yourself?  In this intimate and powerful episode, Charlotte takes us through a quiet moment that sparked a life-altering realization: she hadn't wished for...

Find your free scanxiety toolkit at When caregiving feels thankless and resentment starts to bubble, it’s easy to ask: “Why should I be the one to fix this?”  In this episode, Charlotte addresses the anger and emotional fatigue caregivers...

Find the Scanxiety Toolkit at www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools  When caregiving takes over, it’s easy to forget what it feels like to just be with your loved one. No meds, no schedules, no survival mode. In this episode, Charlotte shares...