After being diagnosed with cancer, you may receive advice about treatment from friends and relatives from all sides, most of which usually emphasize the side effects and physical trauma of mainstream treatments.
Friends and relatives may also recommend the art of self-healing and nutritional supplements, often with a few successful cases to demonstrate that they work.
Although friends and relatives usually have good intentions to help you on your cancer journey, they may commit the mistake of overgeneralization, ignore the limitations of these folk prescriptions, and give you the false impression that they are the ultimate remedies.
Cancer is a serious disease and the treatment process may not be easy. The side effects of treatment may make you feel frustrated, but please trust your doctor’s expertise and seek professional advice if you feel hesitant. Abandoning mainstream treatment can only seriously affect your condition and even increase your chances of death.
How can friends and relatives walk with patients with breast cancer as they go through the journey? If a friend or relative suffers from breast cancer, support her in her courageous journey.
But how do we care for a patient with breast cancer?
Everyone is different. Some people need attention when they are ill, but others don’t like to be treated like a patient. When supporting a patient with breast cancer, you need to care depending on the individual and care for them in a way that is acceptable to them.
Want to encourage patients with breast cancer, but don’t know where to start?
Caring doesn’t need to be too deliberate. Just listen to the patient open up, give a pat on the shoulder when the patient feels uneasy in the face of treatment, or you can give reassuring words to tell the patient to not be afraid.
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References:
- Johnson SB, et al. Use of Alternative Medicine for Cancer and Its Impact on Survival. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article/110/1/121/4064136. Accessed April 2022.