What can my family and friends do?

Being a patient with cancer adds to your daily activities. Whatever you did before the cancer, you now have the additional tasks associated with being a patient. Family members and friends can help you get all these tasks done.

We are all different: You may be the breadwinner. You may have obligations to your immediate family You may need to get chores done in the house -- shopping, cleaning, cooking, taking care of the family in the house. You will need to get to and from appointments for doctors, tests, therapy and anything else involved in your care.

Be sure you get the total support -- physical and emotional -- that you need. Helpers can set up the house so that it can handle visitors, agency personnel, and other caregivers. They can keep a calendar of who is doing what and on what date and time. They can be good listeners for you. And, if they are good observers, one of them can become "your eyes and ears" concerning how tasks are being met, and perhaps more importantly, help you understand and be an outlet for how you are doing. 

Your friends and family who are helping you should also take care of themselves, for themselves, and for you.