Cancer is one the most dreaded condition in the world today. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, their world changes upside down. Most of them lose hope almost instantly due to this bitter revelation. Breast cancer however, is the most common type of cancer today. This shows that families, patients and anybody close to those suffering from breast cancer requires support to keep them grounded. Prevalence of breast cancer in women is without question unmatched with all other types of cancer unmatched. This article therefore, explores ways in which women with cancer can be supported and taken good care of and restore hope in them.
7. Support her decisions
Breast cancer patients face an uphill task when deciding on the mode of treatment to settle for. These decisions bear lifelong consequences and these patients therefore, require critical guidance and advice for them to actual understand the implication of the mode of treatment to initiate whether its radiotherapy, lumpectomy or even mastectomy. Most women feel embarrassed to reveal such decisions to their friends, partners or even their families. It is imperative that one listens to breast cancer patient’s views and help aid her in decision making on the therapy to choose. One needs to be a keen listener and avoid being of preconceived opinion and offer necessary emotional strength. In case of mastectomy, it is even more disheartening to women and many fear losing their partners when the doctor advises them to go for it. This needless to say requires even a more robust emotional and mental support. Constant reassurance of love and support from the partner will be most vital at this juncture.
6. Don’t Let Her Go to Appointments Alone
It is prudent for the breast cancer women to be escorted to every time they visit a doctor. This is the point when they need unending support and reassurance. Most women will try to feign brevity and self reliance but company to the doctor is the priceless gift they so much need at this time. This is the time when they don’t need to feel lonely at any point. Don’t believe them when they tell you they are comfortable going to appointments all alone; always be by there with them.
5. Frankly talk to her about breasts
Breasts play an important role in sexual life and mastectomy makes most women feel less attractive and lower self esteem. The best assurance will be from the partner to let them know that they are still attractive and loved regardless of loss of one or both breasts. Constant reassurance of love and support from such breast cancer patients is all they need especially from their partners and close family and friends.
4. Anticipate and Help
Always anticipate when she is unable to perform a certain duty and help her do it for her. Be there to offer a helping hand when necessary and rearrange things to suit her condition. Breast cancers often weaken women and many find it very hard to perform tasks they easily handled before.
3. Function as the forward guard.
Women are natural communicators in any family and cancer diagnosis triggers even greater desire for constant communication. Most of breast cancer patients find spending most time reacting to other people instead of taking care of themselves. The partner therefore, needs to step in and protect her from such people always inquiring about her health in order to allow her time to have peace and quite time for herself.
2. Become her strongest advocate.
Cancer treatment regimen occasionally results into adverse side effects some which their doctors cannot even handle such as fatigue and nausea. This is the time when women with breast cancer require an advocate to be in constant communication with doctors. Any detectable changes in her should be communicated to doctors by those close to her.
1. Don’t expect everything to be fine right away.
Cancer treatment faces numerous challenges even if all seems to be going on well. Hair loss is the most common with patients on treatment and thoughts of life without one or even all breasts can trigger depression in other women. Constant assurance is all they need at this point especially from the partner.
In conclusion, breast cancer patients require support, care and love from those around them and especially from their partner in order to keep them strong and help. Emotional support will undoubtedly help promote their recovery from the setback caused by cancer.