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Tips for the Cancer
Survivor & Family
Give friends and extended family
a concrete list with specific tasks they can do to help. People who
care want to help, but don't always know what to do.
Say
yes to offers of support.
Develop
a phone chain or leave an outgoing message on the answering machine
to keep the people you want informed. This is particularly helpful during
acute times when your energy is low.
Attend
a support group, if possible. Research demonstrates that there is a
strong therapeutic value to group support.
Arm
yourself with knowledge, it'll aid you and your doctor. Gather information
on your particular diagnosis and treatment options. Write out your questions
in advance of your appointments.
Don't
go to appointments alone, even when you are expecting good news. If
a partner/spouse is unavailable, take a friend. When it is good news,
celebrate!
Maintain
as much normalcy in your life as possible during the various stages
of the treatment/illness.
Do
the activities you enjoy whenever possible. This is particularly important
for getting through the tough times.
Explore
and develop self-care strategies that work for you: Meditation, prayer,
diet, exercise, taking naps, imagery, excursions into nature, journaling
and other creative forms of expression.
Listen
to your body! It is important for the survivor to take care of him/herself
and conserve energy. Energy levels can change frequently during the
course of treatment/illness.
Encourage
family members to take care of their own needs and maintain self-care
strategies.
Remember
that a cancer diagnosis most often means a marathon, not a sprint. Pace
yourself!
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Tips for Supporting Cancer Survivors
& Family Members
Stay
in touch (cards, notes, phone calls, visits, emails, etc.).
Call
if the survivor enjoys telephone conversations. Take cues for the
length of the conversation from the patient. Often frequent short
calls are better than sporadic lengthy ones.
Chat
with the primary care giver too! He or she also needs and appreciates
your support.
Offer
to make phone calls and/or develop a phone chain to/with people the
survivor wants information shared with. This helps the survivor and
family members to conserve energy while still receiving lots of support.
Supply
a meal. Check dietary needs first and maintain the highest level of
hygiene while preparing. Remember bacteria are unwelcome, so if you
have cold or flu, do not visit or prepare food.
Take
the survivor to an appointment (medical or otherwise).
Go
for a walk or do something that is purely fun (like going to a movie)
with the survivor or the primary caregiver.
Offer
to help with a specific household chore. Or run errands, grocery shop,
pick up prescriptions, assume car pool responsibilities, your help
will be greatly appreciated!
Volunteer
your internet surfing expertise, it could provide invaluable information
for the survivor or caregiver.
Give
the caregiver support---and if you can---a short break from responsibility.
A regularly scheduled time is best if possible. This makes it possible
for the caregiver to count on that block of time.
If
there are children involved, volunteer to take them to a specific
activity. (Movie, school sporting event, play-date, shoe fitting,
haircut, etc.)
Be
aware that the needs of the survivor and family members will change
over the course of treatment (acute vs. long-term).
Tell
the survivor and family members about what is going on in your life.
This is fun, distracting, and great for their immune systems.
Once
past the initial diagnosis/decision making, there is a world beyond
cancer. Survivors and their family members don't want or need to be
isolated. Do take cues from the survivor/caregiver during the times
of acute/crisis periods.
Listen
Sometimes that can be the most helpful thing.
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