Any advice for newly diagnosed and their caregivers?

A friend told me early on, “How you feel every day is going to depend on how much stress you have in your life.” I learned fast that it was true. If I can manage my stress, I can manage my pain, my anxiety — all of it.

For caregivers, you really do need to insulate that individual from stress. Their body just can’t handle it.

And the simple things matter: use the medications you need, get off them as soon as you can, stay hydrated, and get up and move around. My wife still has to make sure I walk because I won’t always do it on my own. These are the things I think people should know going in, because they’re very important.