Welcome to The Caregivers Table

by | May 25, 2013 | Uncategorized

The path that deposited me at the stove was a meandering one. I went from being a hospital worker, to being on the other side as a patient, to becoming a nutrition consultant and educator, and ultimately to becoming a cook who teaches others.

For decades I worked as a Respiratory Therapist in urban teaching hospitals. Trauma rooms, intensive care units and nurseries were my office. I loved the job…focus, heart, frustration, adrenaline, joy, sorrow, compassion, camaraderie, and fatigue were constant companions.

On more days than I can count, breakfast was a rushed coffee and a handful of vitamins. At lunchtime if there was a window to get off my feet for a “real” break my meal was often accompanied by a waistline of pagers. Afternoons were punctuated by sugar and more caffeine to aid in the final push to complete a 12 hour shift. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that dinner on some nights consisted of 2 hard pretzels washed down with a couple glasses of wine. Not a very healthy or sustaining way to go!

In 1995 I had a serious scuba diving accident that left me temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. I was hospitalized nearly a month for hyperbaric oxygen treatment and intensive rehabilitation. It was from there, as patient, that I began to really understand the importance of the bedside caregiver – the doctors, nurses, therapists, technicians and social workers who would become key in my recovery. More than just skill, I saw they extended something equally as important: their attention and compassion. I began to wonder if they, too, sometimes didn’t find time or resources for self -nourishment and marveled that if so, they were still able to offer something beyond just care– their hearts.

It is from this perspective that The Caregiver’s Table was conceived. It has taken 18 years to cook but it’s here and I’m very excited to share it with you! The goal of The Caregivers Table is to put back some of what goes out day after day in the life of a caregiver. I’ve blended class content and recipes which contain ingredients helpful in addressing stress, stamina, balance, and comfort with important practicalities such as time saving steps, utilizing leftovers, ease of preparation, and portability. No boring hippie health food here, just great taste and enjoyment!

I hope you enjoy following along.
Eat well. Be well. Care well
Catherine

catherine@thecaregiverstable.com

www.thecaregiverstable.com

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