Women are more fearful of being diagnosed with breast cancer than heart disease, though breast cancer has higher survival rates. Asking for help tends to be difficult for many breast-cancer survivors, especially if they're independent and used to caring for themselves. Friends and loved ones of breast-cancer survivors may not know exactly act or help. By being respectful, supportive and honest about what you can do, your friend or loved one will be helped at a time when she needs it most.
Instructions
1. Ask what you can do to help, as it may be difficult for your friend to ask for assistance. Prepare meals and ask what day of the week she wants you to deliver them. Offer to drive her to doctor's appointments when needed or assist with errands and housework. Get the message out to other friends and family on how they can improve her life.
2. Be a good listener and support system. Encourage discussion about how she may be feeling emotionally or physically. Breast-cancer diagnosis can bring about feelings of fear, anger, depression and stress. This can trigger various physical responses, such as: difficulty sleeping; blood-pressure changes; fatigue or moodiness and pain or tension. Breast-cancer survivors who express their emotions have a higher survival rate versus those who don't.
3. Advise your friend or loved one to join a breast-cancer support group. Contact the American Cancer Society for information about a support group in your area. It will help her to talk with others who share her feelings. She may be experiencing things that are difficult to discuss with you, but easier to talk about with other breast-cancer survivors with similar experiences.
4. Ask your friend if she wants information you may have found in your breast-cancer research. Avoid placing pressure in bringing these facts to her. If she declines this information, mark "no" on the document and keep it for the time being. At least you have it if she changes her mind.
5. Create a phone tree. If your friend or loved is hospitalized or her health suddenly deteriorates, any one who needs to be notified can be called immediately. Show understanding if your phone calls aren't being taken. She may not be physically or emotionally up to it at that time.
6. If your partner is diagnosed with this disease, maintain intimacy. A lot of fear stems from how her appearance may change from treatment. Let your partner know you love, cherish and desire her no matter what--- and encourage her to be open with her insecurities, fears and feelings.
Tags: your friend, friend loved, your friend loved, breast cancer, breast-cancer survivors, diagnosed with
