By Jeff Myhre
On my first day as part of the Jack's team, my first official duty at Jack's was to attend a Caregiver Klatch at (the now, sadly, shuttered) Common Roots in Uptown Minneapolis. It was at the tail end of summer and traffic was thick because we Minnesotan's love our State Fair. I knew it was a support group...and that's about it.

True to my nature, I was early, and because of the traffic everyone else was late. After arranging and rearranging post-it's and sharpies for a while. I introduced myself to the participants as they trickled in. I took drink orders and dithered over the menu. Then calvary (Kyle) arrived.

It's now pushing two years later, and I have the honor of hosting a couple Klatches a month. One for active Caregivers and one for Sequel Makers.The location of the klatches is now the Urban Growler in St. Paul, but the vibe is still the same.

Our Members Are The Magic

Last week following a well-attended Sequel Makers Klatch, I was once again dithering over sharpies and post-its and noticed no one...no one... had left. Each Jack and Jill had created their own breakout group. After a while I left to close out the bill. When I returned, I saw two fellas still chattering and laughing. I hope the staff at the Urban Growler didn't mind waiting to clear the space... but I wasn't gonna break that spell.

Our Sequel Maker team has been busy the first half of this year collaborating, debating, and defining what the Sequel Maker program will become. Most importantly we have defined it's purpose (why it exists!).

The purpose of Sequel Makers is: Helping Jack's thrive, helping you thrive as a Sequel Maker, and helping each other thrive as Sequel Makers. ​

By: Logan Greene, "Jacks Only" Private Facebook Group Admin

On April 1st of 2021, Jack's Caregiver Coalition made our Jack's Only Facebook group findable by the public. We made it so guys from around the world can find our group and request to join after we review their answers to a short questionnaire. Anyone who's been a caregiver for a loved one with a catastrophic illness, that identifies as male, is welcome. Becoming a full-fledged member of Jack's Caregiver Coalition is not required. We simply want to provide a space online for guys who've played the role of a caregiver, to interact with other guys who've played that role. Whether that interaction is posting, reading, liking, or commenting, all are welcome. 

​On an unusually chilly August morning, 5 brave souls met at the shores of Lake Minnetonka for what it was to be a totally new and exciting experience (as usual as it happens with Jack’s). None of us knew exactly what we were in for but were willing to give it a go. That kind of feeling is very familiar to all of us at Jack’s.  We all face a very unknown and uncertain present and future when we deal with our loved one’s cancer, but we face them head on.

Michael Greene was thrown into caregiving for his wife, Sarah, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. At the time, he had no peers he could relate to; no one he could talk to about what he was going through.  

It was 4 years before Jack’s Caregiver Coalition had formed, so he didn’t have the cool events to go to, where he could shoot the shit with guys who were in that cancer-initiated group.

​Eyes blurry, I found myself dazed waiting in the Gilda’s Club lobby while my wife was inside taking a Qigong class. My wife had recently been diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer. She “beat” cancer six years prior, but it was returning like a two-headed monster. And it was bad. 

​Ever wonder what it’s like to be a caregiver for a loved one with cancer? Imagine you're riding in a plane (your life) without a care in the world and all of a sudden the pilot comes on the intercom and says, “folks, there’s something wrong with the plane (cancer) and we all have to exit. Exit the plane…” You mean jump and then free fall, hurtling towards the earth with no idea what you are doing or anybody there to guide you? Now you’re starting to get the idea of what it’s like in the first days and weeks of finding out a loved one was diagnosed with cancer and you have the responsibility of being their caregiver.