Caregiving: Loving Through Illness episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 24, 2025 · 53 MIN

Caregiving: Loving Through Illness

from The Life Shift | Conversations About Life Before and After · host Matt Gilhooly

What do you do when your partner says, “I have tumors in my lungs and spine”? We don’t get instructions for that kind of moment. And we definitely don’t get told what it means to carry someone you love through the hardest, slowest, most beautiful goodbye. In this episode, I talk with Tony Stewart—writer, partner, caregiver—about what shifted the day his wife, Lynn, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and what he learned as they walked through the next six years together. This conversation isn’t just about loss. It’s about presence. And what happens when you let yourself feel every bit of it. He learned to access and express emotions he’d long buried He discovered the healing power of sharing his raw, unfiltered truth He found beauty – even joy – amid the hardest days of his life 🎧 Listen to this episode now to hear how love and grief reshaped one man’s understanding of what it means to live. Tony Stewart is the author of *Carrying the Tiger: Living with Cancer, Dying with Grace, Finding Joy While Grieving*, a memoir chronicling the six years he spent walking alongside his wife through her terminal illness. Originally written as journal entries to keep friends and family updated, the story became a powerful testament to love, presence, and emotional truth. Tony now shares his journey to help others feel less alone in their own grief and caregiving experiences. Learn more at tonystewartauthor.com. Resources: To listen in on more conversations about pivotal moments that changed lives forever, subscribe to "The Life Shift" on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate the show 5 stars and leave a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Access ad-free episodes released two days early: https://patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast Subscribe to The Life Shift Newsletter: https://www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/newsletter/ The Life Shift was just named one of the top 60 life-changing podcasts by FeedSpot: https://podcast.feedspot.com/life_changing_podcasts/ Connect with me: Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelifeshiftpodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelifeshiftpodcast YouTube: https://bit.ly/thelifeshift_youtube Twitter: www.twitter.com/thelifeshiftpod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelifeshiftpodcast Website: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when your partner says, “I have tumors in my lungs and spine”? We don’t get instructions for that kind of moment. And we definitely don’t get told what it means to carry someone you love through the hardest, slowest, most beautiful goodbye. In this episode, I talk with Tony Stewart—writer, partner, caregiver—about what shifted the day his wife, Lynn, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and what he learned as they walked through the next six years together. This conversation isn’t just about loss. It’s about presence. And what happens when you let yourself feel every bit of it. He learned to access and express emotions he’d long buried He discovered the healing power of sharing his raw, unfiltered truth He found beauty – even joy – amid the hardest days of his life 🎧 Listen to this episode now to hear how love and grief reshaped one man’s understanding of what it means to live. Tony Stewart is the author of *Carrying the Tiger: Living with Cancer, Dying with Grace, Finding Joy While Grieving*, a memoir chronicling the six years he spent walking alongside his wife through her terminal illness. Originally written as journal entries to keep friends and family updated, the story became a powerful testament to love, presence, and emotional truth. Tony now shares his journey to help others feel less alone in their own grief and caregiving experiences. Learn more at tonystewartauthor.com. Resources: To listen in on more conversations about pivotal moments that changed lives forever, subscribe to "The Life Shift" on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate the show 5 stars and leave a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Access ad-free episodes released two days early: https://patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast Subscribe to The Life Shift Newsletter: https://www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/newsletter/ The Life Shift was just named one of the top 60 life-changing podcasts by FeedSpot: https://podcast.feedspot.com/life_changing_podcasts/ Connect with me: Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelifeshiftpodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelifeshiftpodcast YouTube: https://bit.ly/thelifeshift_youtube Twitter: www.twitter.com/thelifeshiftpod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thelifeshiftpodcast Website: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Caregiving: Loving Through Illness

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This episode is 53 minutes long.

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This episode was published on June 24, 2025.

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What do you do when your partner says, “I have tumors in my lungs and spine”? We don’t get instructions for that kind of moment. And we definitely don’t get told what it means to carry someone you love through the hardest, slowest, most beautiful...

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