7 tips to help you with a cancer diagnosis
Make it easy for friends to help you
Your friends will want to support you but may not know how to approach you or what to suggest they help you with. You may also feel awkward asking them for help.
Ask a friend to set up a WhatsApp group that your circle of friends can join if they’d like to support you. You can then let this friend know when you need help during or after treatment – whether that’s doing your food shopping when you are juggling medical appointments, bringing round a healthy meal after your treatment, walking the dog when you are short on energy, doing the vacuuming or whatever. They can then post it on the group so your friends are aware of your current needs.
2.Reach out for experienced support
A cancer diagnosis can make you feel isolated, particularly if there is no one in your close family or circle of friends going through the same thing.
Remember there are those out there who are going through the same thing and reach out for their support. We Get It enables you to connect with people who are familiar with what you are going through. We provide a safe space for you to openly talk about your concerns and challenges, without worrying about upsetting your loved ones. Come along to our Get Together or one of our other events, and make sure you have signed up to receive our newsletter to stay up to date with our community news and updates (sign up button on our home page).
3.Get help to talk to your children
It can be particularly difficult to know how to talk to children about a parent or close family member’s cancer diagnosis. Organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Support, Dorothy House and We Hear You all provide specialist care and advice to help you talk about this with your children.
4.Take a daily walk
A simple but powerful tip and one that many people affected by cancer report as beneficial. Going for a walk everyday – even just for 5 or 10 minutes round the block – can help your mental health.
Get out in nature whenever you can and take notice of the sights, sounds and smells around you as you walk. This mindfulness practice can work wonders to get you thinking about something else other than cancer.
5.Work with your body
Feel tired? It’s OK to take a rest. You may need to rest more often while you are dealing with cancer. So get rid of the guilt of what you ‘should’ be doing and listen to your body.
6.Get creative with resources you use
Check out our website ‘resources’ section for links to many different resources – from books and podcasts to advice lines. Another website we love for brilliant self-care resources is Penny Brohn, the Bristol-based cancer charity. All the resources listed are free/donation-based and easily accessible.
7.Use a notebook
Use a notebook to record all your important contact details in once place – your nurse specialist, oncology consultant and so on. Use this notebook to make a note of all your upcoming appointments and jot down any questions that come to mind, as they come to mind, so you have them all to hand on the day and don’t have to worry about thinking on your feet.