Reflections of a Loving Partner

Book excerpt: Reflections of a Loving Partner is the intimate story of two devoted partners confronting the challenges of a terminal diagnosis. Author C. Andrew Martin's world was shattered when his life partner, Gil, was diagnosed with AIDS. This eloquent memoir shares their love story, unveiling the burdens and the joys of the caregiving journey. Andrew chose to become Gil's caregiver. To prepare for what lay ahead, Andrew enrolled in hospice volunteer training, learning lessons to guide him through the medical, emotional, spiritual, and legal hazards of caregiving. Now a registered nurse and leader in the field of hospice and palliative care, Andrew has turned his personal experience into his life's work, sharing with others the valuable lessons he learned. Andrew shows us that when we are open to its possibilities, the loving and selfless act of being a caregiver for someone who is at the end of life can teach us just as much about living as about dying.