Caregiving can be stressful: Here are 10 tips to help you care for your loved one with breast cancer
Cancer is a deadly disease that does not just affect the patient but the entire family. Perhaps, the diagnosis of breast cancer can send shockwaves through the life of the person diagnosed as well as the family members. Many caregivers struggle with having to balance their own lives in conjunction with the new-found responsibilities of caring for their loved ones.
Supporting your loved one who is diagnosed with breast cancer is the main priority. But in order to provide the best help possible, the caregivers will likely need some guidance themselves. As a caregiver, you have an important role in facilitating your loved one’s treatment and overall well-being. Every year, October is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in countries across the world to create awareness of the challenges faced by breast cancer patients and their caregivers.
Tips for breast cancer caregivers
Caring for a person with breast cancer can be hard physically and emotionally. If you are a caregiver now or about to become a caregiver, it’s imperative that you look for ways to help you care for both your loved one with breast cancer and yourself. As we mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with Dr Krithika Murugan, Surgical Oncology, HCG Cancer Hospital, Bengaluru, for some advice on what caregivers can do to help their loved ones and themselves during these difficult times:
- Treat her the same as before: Remind her that she is the same person she was before the cancer diagnosis. She may look different on the outside without her breasts or her hair but let her know that you don’t see her differently. This is important because she may not feel like herself and may be very self-conscious about her changed appearance.
- Give and track medication: Your loved one must take the right dose of the medication at the right time for her treatment to be most effective. Create a chart or set reminders to make it easier to stay on schedule. She will likely be taking oral medications for several years after active treatment, and she may become frustrated with it. You can encourage her by reminding her that the medications help reduce her risk of a recurrence.
- Share feelings: Allow your loved one to talk about their emotions without feeling judged. It is important to share your feelings too. Don’t let your caregiver-patient role overtake your relationship.
- Identify your own needs and tend to them: While you’re tending to the physical and emotional needs of your loved one, you also have your own feelings to deal with. The fact is that nobody can keep it up without feeling stressed. In order to prevent burnout, try to take some time for yourself.
- Try to be patient and remain flexible: Recovery and healing take time. This goes way beyond physical healing. Patients often need time to work through many emotions such as fear, sadness, anger that are created from the cancer experience. So try to be calm and flexible while dealing with them.
- Attend doctor visits: Go along with her to learn about the type of breast cancer, treatment options, and other aspects of care. It is not only helpful for your loved one to continue to feel supported, but it can always be helpful to have another person in the room to know the treatment plan.
- Remember to be an active listener: During this phase, the patient will be undergoing multiple physical and emotional changes. Sometimes just listening and reassuring your loved one can be most helpful.
- Watch for signs where outside help may be needed: It is very common to witness anxiety and depression among cancer survivors. If these symptoms persist for several weeks or affect your loved one’s everyday life, a gentle conversation with your loved one’s primary care physician may be helpful.
- Help manage side effects: Watch out for the side effects that are likely to occur during or after the treatment. Help in managing and minimizing it, which in turn could improve your loved one’s outcome and quality of life.
- Self-care: Ultimately, to be the best source of support for your loved one, you must take care of yourself physically and emotionally. Self-care will help you feel re-energized and make you a well-prepared caregiver. Find something to laugh about every day; it is a great way to reduce stress. Celebrate how far you both have come even during difficult times like these.