What Do I Say
If you have ever had to witness a family member,close friend or an acquaintance struggle with a terminal illness like cancer or any other debilitating and devastating disease,you may be one of many of us that suffer from “whattosayitis”.
We all mean well and have the best intentions when visiting and talking with individuals fighting a disease like say cancer but sometimes our head and heart mean one thing and our mouths override and say something totally different.
Letty Pogrebin,author of “How To Be A Friend To A Friend Who Is Sick”, states several examples of actual comments made by good intentioned friends that did not come out right. “Wow! You really
They feel that when people now of their illness they will be treated differently. In the article “After Diagnosis, Some Keep their Cancer a Secret” Melanie Young a breast cancer survivor says, “I didn’t want my clients to perceive me as incapacitated and jump ship” (2). Not all people react the same way some might feel sorry for the person that is going through the difficult time. Others might distance away because they do not know how to approach the situation. Skloot states “After each treatment, Henrietta would change back into her clotes and walk the few blocks to margaret’s house, where she’d wait for Day to pick her up around midnight” (Skloot 47). While Henrietta was with Margaret they would interact, but never say anything about her illness or talk about the symptoms that would come as a result of her treatment. Talking about cancer is not an easy topic because everyone has different opinions when it comes to whether to share the news with their friends and family
The Diagnosis for many especially those who are the diagnosed can be the scariest thing. Seeing this first hand with my grandmother who did not want to tell anyone of what had happened it was tough. I was a little less then fifteen when I went to live with my grandmother for a short time. She quickly showed me things like cooking and gardening and the value of hard work so when I overheard her talking to my grandfather about having to get chemo the next day I was beside myself. She finally told me the next day about her diagnosis. Though we may care for those diagnosed seldom do we ever truly know what they are going through? I mean how often do you have things you
If someone you know is going through cancer then they are constantly fighting a battle more than once. For instant my nana had breast cancer, so she was constantly fighting to get rid of the cancer that was still in her. But the whole time she was staying positive and she told me “All I have to do is keep telling myself to keep fighting, I'm going to win this battle¨. My nana at that time was a huge role model to me and she still is.
For example, relationships between family members may strengthen and also relationships between one and the patient. During this time, many stories of better times with the patient will be said and thoughts of how the patient impacted their lives for the good. This will result in shared memories that will brighten up not only the day but also the mood. When the time comes that cancer has won its battle, many things will seem to run in one's mind. Not only thoughts of grief and sadness, but also the thoughts of how much of an impact one has made in the life of the patient who had passed. And at the end of the day, knowing that the life of the patient has been change due to the deeds that were done for them is a prize in its
“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood” –Marie Curie. Every year people are affected by cancer. Living with cancer is hard on all involved with any person that has cancer. They will need all the support they can get even if it’s just a phone call to say hi. Don’t feel sorry or pity the person. Instead do things that can cheer them up asking how they’re doing and ask if you can do anything for them. Many find going to support groups helpful to accept the fact they have or lost someone to cancer. The awareness does show favoritism toward to
When the genuine Martin Guerre reappears, the cunning wife is compelled to alter the plans
The last thing they want is people not being the same around them. In an article written by a cancer patient, it says how when he found out that the had cancer, not only his friends but his entire town would act strange. It continued to say that when people came over, they were “visibly uncomfortable” and found it hard to make eye contact. Some friends would come over and ask how he was doing. Others would stay away
No one thinks that it will happen to them. No one thinks that one day it might be them walking into the doctor’s office, only to hear those three horrifying words – “You have cancer.” To say that cancer changed my life is an enormous understatement. Cancer took me on an insane roller coaster for two years.. turning, twisting, jerking. I never thought it would happen to me. I heard those three lethal words, but they were not spoken to me. My father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December of 2014.
Knowing that you have a cancer is probably the worst thing to ever want to know in your whole life. For example, the doctors of Roger Ebert kept cutting parts of his body because cancer cells would get into them and destroy them. He couldn’t talk or even say a word for the rest of his life, yet when he want to speak they would give him a computer and a speaker next to him that say whatever he writes on his computer. He struggled his life before
“Don’t stop believing, hold on to that feeling”(10 Best Cancer Fighting Songs Ever - Above + Beyond Cancer) this quote is showing that no matter how hard you try you can get through it. Everyone is stronger than they think they are and don’t stop believing because it can get better. American Cancer Society helps one's diagnosed with cancer by other’s volunteering. It is an organization dedicated to preventing cancer, saving lives, and helping people who are suffering. Initially, it can help people survive and even make them happier by simply do something good for others. Please donate your time and money to American Cancer Society an event for cancer patients because it helps people suffering from all kinds of cancer, has events to collect
They leave and come back, again and again, with this or that complication, or because they need more chemo, or because they’ve relapsed. We get to know them, their families, even their friends. And because we know them so well, in such an intense and intimate setting, we end up caring about them.” (February 4, 2009, 11:25
According to the American Cancer Society in 2014 there is an estimated of 585,720 cancer deaths in the United States. Remaining in the second place of the most common cause of death in the country. Being diagnosed with terminal cancer changed any person life. The patient start suffering all kind of physical and psychological problems, related to the imminent death. During this period the doctor, the patient, and the family form an indispensable bond in order to help the terminal ill person to cope with the symptoms and complications the best possible way. However, this bond is usually broken in cases where one of the subjects decide to withhold information from another.
“ This could be a life or death situation.” Wow I have cancer. I might die soon. This is horrible I always planned on having a great long life filled with dog treats and belly rubs, but this just got in the way of that.
Effective communication among nurse and patient/family can improve care and relieve suffering. The diagnosis and treatment for cancer is a major challenge and it affects all aspects of life. By therapeutic communication, providing information, encouraging optimistic outlook, teaching how to reduce stress patient care will have better outcomes. (Yarbro, Wujchik, & Gobel, 2010).
To further my insight into the medical field I have done four months of volunteer work at Jackson Memorial Hospital where I could see first-hand the necessities’ patients go through, their needs, their suffering and the human character to the profession, how humble it makes you feel and how self-rewarding it is to be able to help others in need. It is especially moving to go over the children’s section, for those receiving chemotherapy looks on their faces and as young as they are they know what they are going through, and their comments can hit you as a rock for children can be very expressive about their condition, and you must do all that is possible to try to put on a good face and help them the best way you can. This is extremely hard not only for the family members but for the professionals who have to deal in this type of life experiences daily which as routinely as it may seem, it doesn’t stop you from impacting you at a personal