Christine’s Story: On Caregiving, Trauma-Informed Care & Processing Grief

Christine Fader shares a deeply personal caregiving story shaped by love, advocacy and extraordinary emotional complexity. She reflects on her husband Michael’s head and neck cancer diagnosis, the long path to getting answers and the shock of learning that a specific throat pain was something far more serious. One of the most striking parts of the episode is her account of how his childhood trauma affected cancer treatment, especially the radiation mask, and how they worked with the care team to make that process possible without sacrificing his sense of control. The conversation becomes especially powerful as Christine describes what caregiving looked like in real time. She speaks candidly about balancing information, fear and practical problem-solving while supporting a partner who processed illness very differently than she did. The episode also explores unusual and difficult moments in Michael’s treatment journey, including a rare arterial hemorrhage during radiation and the later diagnosis of a second, unrelated cancer, which brought an entirely new wave of pain, uncertainty and grief. What makes this episode stand out is Christine’s clarity about what caregivers often carry quietly. She offers thoughtful insight into anticipatory grief, the importance of asking for specific help and the emotional aftershocks that can linger long after treatment or loss. By the end, the episode opens into something larger than one family’s story, becoming a meaningful reflection on trauma-informed care, the hidden labor of caregiving and the ways people try to create purpose after devastating loss. To learn more about Christine and for resources she offers visit her website: christinefader.com