| Sources |
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 18 Sep 2002.
Carl Lewis Reagan obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 16 May 2010.
Role of caregiver not an easy one
by JEFF FARRELL
Sheila Bryan served as the caregiver for her father Carl Reagan as he battled cancer. Sheila Bryan with her father Carl Reagan on her wedding day.
Sheila Bryan has witnessed the ravages of cancer from the perspective of a nurse and a caregiver.
She’s worked much of her live at the office of Dr. Charles H. Bozeman, and she was the main caregiver when her father, Carl Reagan, was diagnosed with cancer.
It’s helped maker her a passionate volunteer for Relay For Life, and galvanized her hopes that more can be done for the family and friends who tend the needs of cancer patients.
Bryan was a long-time nurse at Bozeman’s office when her father was diagnosed with lung cancer. She had a clear idea of what it could mean for him; she’d been working at the office since she was in high school.
Her mother and father divorced, and her brother’s work kept him out of town at times. So, she left the office and found other jobs in the meantime so she could be with her dad.
“He worked the day before and then he had his left lung removed,” she said.
At first, it seemed like it was going to work out as well as hoped, but he suffered adult respiratory distress. He spent a year at a hospital in Mount Vernon, Ky., where they were equipped to care for him.
That, sadly, is one of the most important duties for caregivers, and one that can cause tremendous stress. At one point, she said, a nurses’s error left her father paralyzed.
And she was there to care for him — and to make sure the professionals responsible for his care did their jobs. For a self-described daddy’s girl — her middle name is Carline — there was never any question what she would do.
Through it all, her dad never complained. “He was a trooper through it all,” she said.
That’s also how a lot of caregivers endure. “You just muddle through,” Bryan said.
She had help from her family. Her aunts and other relatives helped a lot, she noted. It’s something care givers need to take advantage of when its’ available. “Accept help, if you get any,” was one of the first pieces of advice she had for other caregivers.
Taking care of themselves is another priority. Between working and caring for him, she hardly had time to take do anything for herself.
Those are among the reasons she works with Relay For Life. She hopes to help caregivers, and to help create more resources for them.
“I would do it all again,” she said. “That’s why I’m such an advocate for Relay For Life. There needs to be more ways to help people.”
She’s taken the memory with her as she returned to Bozeman’s office after her father’s death.
“I get too attached to the patients,” she said. “I cry a lot with them. I go to see them at home. I go to a lot of funerals.
“I understand it’s hard. If you haven’t been through it, you don’t understand.”
jfarrell@themountainpress.com
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
REAGAN, CARL LOUIS WHALEY, PHYLLIS JUNE 1962-01-02
- [S131] Divorce Record.
Husband's Name Wife's First Name Wife's Maiden Name County Court Date of Divorce File #
REAGAN CARL L PHYLLIS W [NOT GIVEN] SEVIER CIRCUIT 05-08-1987 11996
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Groom's Name Bride's First Name Bride's Maiden Name County Date of Marriage File #
BRYAN HENRY B SHEILA R NOT GIVEN SEVIER 09-21-1985 38658
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Groom's Name Bride's First Name Bride's Maiden Name County Date of Marriage File #
BRYAN HENRY B SHEILA C REAGAN SEVIER 09-18-1993 59542
- [S131] Divorce Record.
Husband's Name Wife's First Name Wife's Maiden Name County Court Date of Divorce File #
BRYAN HENRY B SHEILA C REAGAN SEVIER CIRCUIT 07-03-1996 20053
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1962 - (61 years)
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