Carol Knowles became a caretaker in 2012 when her husband, Martin Knowles, was diagnosed with stage 4 tonsil cancer. The couple agrees that summer was extremely tough.
"During July, it was pretty much 80 percent bad because the radiation was so intense, the pain was so high," said Martin.
"That caregiver stage is so confusing and stressful," Carol said. "You never know if you're doing the right thing, if you did enough, or if you didn't do enough. It's hard not to take their frustration personally."
With her office right across the hallway from Martin in their bedroom, she was readily available but also needed something to do.
“Those off times when she couldn't help me, or I didn't let her help me, she was formulating a plan to make a product that helped people have good days and control the outcome of their days," Martin said.
Using her experience in the pharmaceutical business, she came up with Wojo, a B-vitamin based supplement. Their motto is, “Where nutrition meets lifestyle.”
The all natural supplement has formulations for energy, focus, and calmness.
"It’s a reminder for people to stop and think about their day and really think about the road they want to travel," said Carol.
Martin is now cancer-free, and the parents of two young boys say their family is now closer than ever. So what's Martin’s message?
"Take one day at a time, just like when you find out you have cancer," said Martin. "You just take it one day at a time, so you can enjoy in incremental steps. Enjoy the minutes as they go by, because they go by fast."
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Jane Monreal can be reached at jane.monreal@kshb.com.
