Crossing the Caring Bridge - A Journey of Hope and Despair

Shelly Flammia Greer thought the summer of 2010 would be the glorious beginning to the rest of her life with Phil, her husband of nearly forty years. But after settling into early retirement, she began noticing changes in his behavior. Soon other family members and friends took notice as well. When Shelly realized she was not alone in her observations, she knew Phil needed to see a doctor—a visit that revealed he was terminally ill with a glioblastoma multiforme. What Shelly soon learned was that the diagnosis would bring more questions than answers. All tumors are different. And just as every person is unique, so is each person’s journey through illness. From the moment the malignant tumor entered Phil’s brain, Shelly began losing the husband she knew and loved—but that didn’t stop her from fighting alongside him with every breath he had left. Crossing the Caring Bridge is Shelly’s candid account of loving and living with someone who is battling for his life. In her raw yet inspiring memoir, she details the treatment plan and her husband’s response to it, as well as her own experience as his caregiver, in the hope that sharing their story will offer comfort to others in similar circumstances.