Just about the only thing scarier than receiving a diagnosis of cancer is having someone you love receive a diagnosis of cancer. There’s nothing worse than seeing a loved one struggle with their health; most of us would certainly much prefer to fight the battle ourselves than to have someone we love hurt in any way.
We can, however, be there for our loved one in very significant ways; for emotional support, for physical support, and as an extra set of ears when receiving information and helping to make important decisions. Oftentimes, when we receive a cancer diagnosis, we are completely overwhelmed with what that means. It becomes very challenging to focus on the information that is being given to us and, because of that, we often don’t hear important points or forget to ask questions. When we support a loved one with cancer we are able to help gather and organize information and ask questions of the doctors as needed. If you’re supporting someone with cancer in this regard, remember to:
Bring a notebook - or electronic means for taking notes - with you to every doctor’s appointment. Take note of everything that is said even if it doesn’t seem important at the time. Then, later, when you’ve had time to rest and think, you can look everything over.
Help your loved one identify questions that need to be answered. You don’t think of everything when you’re in the doctor’s office. That’s why it’s so important to review questions when you’re calm and have had a chance to review everything; then you can bring those questions with you to your next appointment.
Be on hand for whatever your loved one needs. From driving them to an appointment to making a meal, you will be called upon for a variety of loving services during this time. Every day is different so maintain your flexibility and be willing to do what is needed in that moment. With the right treatment in place, before long, you’ll hopefully be looking back on these days with gratitude as you celebrate your loved one’s cancer-free good health.
We can, however, be there for our loved one in very significant ways; for emotional support, for physical support, and as an extra set of ears when receiving information and helping to make important decisions. Oftentimes, when we receive a cancer diagnosis, we are completely overwhelmed with what that means. It becomes very challenging to focus on the information that is being given to us and, because of that, we often don’t hear important points or forget to ask questions. When we support a loved one with cancer we are able to help gather and organize information and ask questions of the doctors as needed. If you’re supporting someone with cancer in this regard, remember to:
Bring a notebook - or electronic means for taking notes - with you to every doctor’s appointment. Take note of everything that is said even if it doesn’t seem important at the time. Then, later, when you’ve had time to rest and think, you can look everything over.
Help your loved one identify questions that need to be answered. You don’t think of everything when you’re in the doctor’s office. That’s why it’s so important to review questions when you’re calm and have had a chance to review everything; then you can bring those questions with you to your next appointment.
Be on hand for whatever your loved one needs. From driving them to an appointment to making a meal, you will be called upon for a variety of loving services during this time. Every day is different so maintain your flexibility and be willing to do what is needed in that moment. With the right treatment in place, before long, you’ll hopefully be looking back on these days with gratitude as you celebrate your loved one’s cancer-free good health.
