My husband and I both survived strokes. At 69, I'm still working full time and caring for him.

Carla Bacon has been caring for her husband recovering from a stroke. Carla Bacon Carla Bacon, 69, juggles full-time work and caring for her husband recovering from a stroke. Bacon's role involves managing medical debt, daily care, and navigating insurance challenges. Bacon has stayed optimistic about her husband's recovery, though she works to pay off medical debts. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Carla Bacon, 69, who is caring for her 70-year-old husband while working a full-time job in Oklahoma. Bacon's husband has slowly been recovering from a stroke, and they've had to go into medical debt to make ends meet. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. I worked for much of my career as a public health director, and I was working on my doctorate until the pandemic hit. I am also a stroke survivor.