Advice for Family, Friends
and Cancer Caregivers
Family, friends, and cancer caregivers often need advice on supporting cancer patients - and most of the information out there is geared towards the cancer patients themselves, not to the people that make up their support systems.
Maybe you don't know the "right thing to say" to a friend with cancer.
Maybe you just found out that your spouse has cancer - what should you be doing for them?
Or maybe you live far away and want to be a meaningful part of someone's support system while they fight cancer, but you're just not sure how to do that...
You've found the right place.
My friends and I (far right) at my "Cancer-Free" Party
First and foremost, keep in mind that more than anything, most people with cancer want to be treated the same way they were treated before they were sick.
They don't want their friends and family to tip-toe around them. They also don't want to be treated like they have the plague.
Why?
Because when people act differently around them, it serves as a constant reminder that something is wrong with them. This, then, has the negative effect of making the person feel like they are being controlled by the cancer - when instead they should be focusing on the idea that THEY are in charge and in the pilot's seat - not the cancer.
The power of positive thinking is unlimited for people battling cancer. Will positive thinking single-handedly cure them of their disease? Not likely. But modern medicine coupled with positive thinking goes a lot farther than medicine alone. Do your part to promote positive thinking by acting like the same old sister or spouse or best friend that you were before cancer came into the picture.
Now that we've established that ground rule, let's get a little more specific on what you can do to be a meaningful part of someone's support system when they are fighting cancer.
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