When my wife, Shelley, was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2017, our life at once turned from blissful routine into unadulterated chaos. Not only were we bludgeoned by emotionally charged, life-or-death medical information, but we were also faced with managing an avalanche of dear friends graciously wishing to offer their sympathies and their aid. The sheer volume of people contacting us was so overwhelming that we didn’t know how to react at first. What made matters worse was that, in our heightened emotional state, our responses might not have always properly acknowledged their efforts. A cancer diagnosis is emotionally devastating. Not surprisingly, families facing cancer are more sensitive at this time and may overreact to seemingly innocuous and well-intentioned statements.
However, now that some time has passed and we’ve settled in to our new normal, we’ve gained some insight on how to help friends to better help us. Here are our dos and don’ts for supporting a family who is facing cancer.
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