Supporting Someone with Breast Cancer

When someone close to you is diagnosed with cancer, it becomes difficult to see the people you’ve shared a home and a life together go through such a grueling journey as this. Providing support is the biggest role you will play in their lives! Here are just a few ways you can be there for them:

The need to help them might come naturally to you, but the information on what they are dealing with won’t and that is okay. The best way to offer held to your loved one would be to gather as much information as you can on their condition. Read about breast cancer. From medical journals, online resources, their physician and oncologist, be a sponge and soak up all the information you can. This will actually help you empathize with them better.

Whenever someone in your life falls ill, you want to be their pillar of strength and that’s amazing; it’s actually commendable. The problem with this though, is that you end up piling up a lot of pressure on yourself and this might lead to stress. It’s makes sense that you want to be strong for your loved one so that they do not have to be, but truth is, you also need to let off some steam. You could do this by crying with them, or by yourself. Physical exercise also helps one stabilize emotionally, so go for a run every so often, or just a brisk walk. You will be surprised by how much good 30 minutes of exercise will do you.

As you find an outlet for your emotions, don’t forget to offer emotional help too. This can be done by just being available to listen to your loved one’s worries and fears, if you are in a position to pick that late night phone call, go ahead.

Before there was breast cancer in your lives, there was a relationship and in that relationship with your loved one, there was fun. Rediscover this fun with them. Fun can be silly, it can be quirky and it doesn’t have to be over the top to be enjoyed. Do you guys enjoy game nights? Then get a deck of cards and some fruit juice and play away! Are movies your thing? Nothing a little portable projector and Netflix will not ease! Whatever you do, find a way to do the things you’ve always enjoyed doing together. If they are hospitalised, you can scale it down to accommodate their environment.

It’s the little things that matter. Sometimes, all your loved one wants is to feel like their old self, so bring them a tube of their favourite lipstick. After all, isn’t looking good the first step to feeling good? Be practical and take care of the everyday things that are often overlooked in the face of adversity: run errands, respond to their mail, sort their bills.

If and when you have a spare minute, offer to drive them to their medical appointments…little things. All will be well ☺