How to take care of a breast cancer patient
Cancer diagnosis can be quite overwhelming, for the patients and their loved ones alike. In the event that you find yourself in the position of a caregiver of a breast cancer patient, have hope and be their strength. Here are a few pointers in how to take care of a breast cancer patient.
General wellbeing
These have to do with the day-to-day running of their lives. Cancer treatment is not an event, rather it is a journey that can be drawn out for months. In that period, the patient will need someone to step in and do those things that they can no longer physically do for themselves. You can help by:
Planning for their meals
Helping them move around the house
Maintaining personal hygiene and sanitation around the house
Shopping for their needs
ALSO READ: How to detect breast cancer in men
Treatment
With regard to cancer treatment, you can help breast cancer patients by:
Facilitating their movement to and from the doctors
Administering meds and ensuring they are taken on time
Accompanying them for appointments
Staying in liaison with the medical team
Gaining new knowledge on the patients condition and how best to facilitate treatment
Taking care of the legal issues that surround treatment
Emotional support
Just as important as treatment and physical help, is the patients’ emotional well-being. Cancer, its treatment and diagnosis can be so draining, but the patient needs to have the will to live and fight on. Hear them out when they need to talk, listen to their fears and share your hope for a better day. Overcoming cancer is both a physical and mental endeavor, the more positive the patient is towards the it, the better.
Take care of yourself
You cannot take care of another person if you need care yourself. As involving and tasking as it is, do not forget to take some time off to catch a break. Liaise with the patient’s other friends and relatives to step in for you while you catch a break. You cannot do everything.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We encourage our readers to use self-examination, mammograms and clinical exams to facilitate early detection of breast cancer. Early detection saves lives.
