{"id":1484,"date":"2023-03-02T16:56:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T16:56:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=1484"},"modified":"2023-03-02T16:56:46","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T16:56:46","slug":"how-to-be-a-friend-to-a-person-with-breast-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=1484","title":{"rendered":"How to Be a Friend to a Person With Breast Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you have a friend facing a breast cancer diagnosis<\/a>, it\u2019s not unusual to feel uncomfortable and unsure what to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But you don\u2019t need to say much, according to Lesley Koeppel, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker who practices in New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is nothing wrong with saying that you don\u2019t know what to say,\u201d she explains. \u201cFor example, simply saying, \u2018There are no words that can make things better for you right now. Just know I am here for you and am thinking of you\u2019 can go a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are seven ways you can be supportive to someone who\u2019s living with breast cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Normalize Chemo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Go with your friend to chemo sessions and talk about things other than health issues, says Leasa Ireland, a 10-year breast cancer survivor who went through eight years of treatment. \u201cThis helps the time go faster, and it\u2019s pretty nice to hear silly, meaningless gossip when everything is so heavy. Bring the funny whenever you can!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, at the end of chemo, help your friend celebrate. \u201cWe had a hat\/wig party where about 50 women wore crazy wigs to help celebrate my (hopefully) last session,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Give Them Emotional Space<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes supporting a friend through breast cancer treatment<\/a> means giving them space to navigate all ranges of emotions, not just the happy, hopeful emotions, says Ashley Park, a clinical therapist at Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center<\/a> in Loma Linda, California. \u201cYou want to be sure to never invalidate their emotions or experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Share Your Own Scars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve had breast cancer and have undergone surgery, share what that experience was like and even show your scars, says Barbara Becker, a writer in New York City who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021. \u201cI spent so much time online looking at scars and reconstructions and crying,\u201d she says. Then, a colleague of her husband\u2019s reached out and, in the most vulnerable and compassionate way, offered to show her own scars in person, \u201cso I could decide if that was the way I wanted to go. I was blown away by this intimate, sincere gesture and have since paid it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Send a Small Gift<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s flowers, home-baked cookies, or a gift card, the message to your friend is clear: You\u2019re thinking of them and wishing them well, Koeppel says. \u201cAdd a small note to accompany the gift,\u201d she says. \u201cAll you need to write is, \u2018Just a little something to let you know I\u2019m thinking of you and wishing you the best during this difficult time.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sally Wolf, a 47-year-old entrepreneur who was initially diagnosed in 2015 and is now living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer<\/a>, received a pack of beauty salon blowouts from her former boss when she was recuperating from breast cancer surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe knew that a blowout gift was something that would help me feel more like myself,\u201d she says. \u201cI was blessed to have incredible support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Be Specific When You Offer to Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is a great time to roll up your sleeves and volunteer to help your friend with daily tasks and errands. Offer to pick up your friend\u2019s children at school. \u201cIf you\u2019re a good cook, prepare a meal for them,\u201d Koeppel says. \u201cIf you\u2019re a good listener, take your friend out for coffee.\u201d But make sure you\u2019re clear about what you\u2019re offering. \u201cIt\u2019s better to say \u2018Let me make a meal for you so it\u2019s one less thing to worry about,\u2019 versus \u2018Let me know if I can make you a meal.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Be a Good Friend After Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dealing with life after treatment can be just as challenging. Try to be there during that reentry phase, says Ireland. \u201cThings are hectic and busy at the beginning of treatment, and most friends are good about rallying around and providing support then,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce treatment is over, it\u2019s scary and you\u2019re worried about what happens next.\u201d This might be a good time to invite your friend to social gatherings. \u201cShe\u2019ll attend if she can,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Be Mindful of What You Say<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, avoid trying to fix your friend\u2019s problem with unwanted advice, Koeppel says. \u201cSometimes you just need to listen without solving. That makes your friend feel understood, heard, and loved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid comparing her health issues with those of others who have gone through something similar, and don’t give medical advice or suggest holistic, alternative, or nutritional therapies if she hasn\u2019t asked for your help, Koeppel advises. Unless you\u2019re asked, don\u2019t bring up your own medical issues or personal problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, do your best to avoid clich\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try not to say things like \u201cJust focus on what\u2019s positive in your life,\u201d or \u201cEverything happens for a reason\u201d and \u201cThis too shall pass.\u201d \u201cThose statements just aren\u2019t helpful,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Original article: https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/breast-cancer\/how-to-be-a-friend-to-a-person-with-breast-cancer\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you have a friend facing a breast cancer diagnosis, it\u2019s not unusual to feel uncomfortable and unsure what to say. But you don\u2019t need to say much, according to Lesley Koeppel, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker who practices in New York City. \u201cThere is nothing wrong with saying that you don\u2019t know what to say,\u201d she explains. \u201cFor example, simply saying, \u2018There are no words that can make things better for you right now. Just know I am […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cancer-research"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1484"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1485,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1484\/revisions\/1485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}