Checking Out: An In-Depth Look at Losing Your Mind

Phoenix Resident Gives Voice to Confusion, Guilt and Grief that come with Diagnosis and Death of a Family Member from Glioblastoma 

Losing a loved one to glioblastoma, commonly called glioma, the most aggressive form of brain tumor, is something too many people have experienced, and Phoenix resident Catherine Graves has experienced it firsthand. Approximately 13,000 Americans die from glioma each year, and it was the cause of Graves’ husband’s death.

Yet despite the fact that many people, including well-known individuals like Sen. Ted Kennedy and film critic Gene Siskel, die from this form of cancer, diagnosis isn’t always easy. A patient’s symptoms can create confusion for loved ones. When Graves’ husband began acting out-of-character and disinterested, she initially suspected him of having an affair. He was then treated for depression.

Graves details how her husband’s illness affected her and their children, and the challenges and heartbreak they faced, in her memoir, Checking Out: An In-Depth Look At Losing Your Mind. Written from the caregiver’s perspective, the book gives voice to the confusion, guilt, and grief that come with a diagnosis and death of a family member from glioma.

Since the book’s publication, Catherine Graves has become a voice for loved ones of those suffering from the disease and those it leaves behind. She has been interviewed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta for CNN; has appeared on Good Morning Arizona; and has been interviewed by the Arizona Republic.

Her ability to compassionately and candidly articulate the struggles a caregiver faces, while offering practical advice for how to cope, make her an ideal speaker on this difficult and important topic.

About the Book

 Checking Out: An In-Depth Look At Losing Your Mind by Catherine Graves is a memoir of one woman’s struggle with her husband’s death from glioma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Written from the caregiver’s perspective, the book explores mistakes made and the impact they have, as well as how difficult it can be to find absolution.

In a book that is a must-read for anyone who has lost a loved one to a fatal disease, Graves openly shares the impact her husband’s illness and death initially had on her and their children, and how she was ultimately able to come to terms with the confusion, guilt, and grief that threatened to consume her.

Checking Out: An In-Depth Look At Losing Your Mind by Catherine Graves is available wherever books are sold.

About the Author
Catherine Graves, a powerful and inspiring author and speaker, has the ability to share her experiences with loss in a way that resonate deeply with others. Her book, Checking Out: An In-Depth Look At Losing Your Mind chronicles her journey through extraordinarily challenging times to a place where healing and strength become possible.

When not sharing her insights, Graves contributes to the Phoenix community where she resides with her two children. Her volunteer efforts include work with the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, Florence Crittenton Center for Girls, Barrow Neurological Institute, and the Craniofacial Foundation of Arizona, among other organizations.

Visit www.catherine-graves.com for more information.

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