After my visit to the hospital, all I wanted to do was get home and hold my husband in my arms. My mother was completely fine but my heart felt worn out. I had been with her through her sickness from day one and I was exhausted.

No one ever talked about what it was like to be a caregiver to a chronically ill patient. It was a lot on them but then there was also a lot on you. It was like you carried their pain with you. Every new scar that marked their body was branded onto ...