How to Support Someone With Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is characterized by the presence of malignant cells in and around a woman's cervix. Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are the dominant forms of cervical cancer, accounting for the vast majority of cervical cancer cases. If you know someone who has developed cervical cancer, it is very important that you give her as much support as you can in order to help improve her odds of beating the disease. Through your simple and consistent support, you can become a major part of her healing process.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Try to go to the doctor every time the patient needs to visit. Having someone she knows and loves by her side will help boost her spirits. Conversely, give your loved one the space she needs if she expresses a greater need for privacy.

2. Remember the little things. Whether you are a next-door neighbor or a relative, the patient will benefit from help with the basics. Offer to cook meals, drive her to appointments, baby-sit her children or pick up her groceries. She may be deeply touched by your simple offer to take care of her pets while she's in the hospital. Remember daily life goes on for everyone--even people battling cancer.

3. Encourage the patient to quit smoking, which is a very important step in helping to heal cervical cancer. Smoking is known to increase the chances of the cancer spreading, as well as increasing the severity of the side effects from treatment. If you smoke, offer to quit with her.

4. Attend meetings with the patient, particularly when she visits her support group. Showing such support to someone is a terrific way to help her maintain a positive attitude.

5. Follow up with consistent offers to help out or talk. Your friend might not take you up on your offer to help with simple chores until you make the offer a second or third time.

6. Be willing to talk about anything the cancer patient wishes to talk about, including death. While it's important to stay positive, it's also important for her to be able to express herself fully, including giving voice to her fears.

Tips & Warnings

• Take advantage of any of a number of books on the market today that offer advice and tips on helping to support someone who is going through the process of recovering from cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society's Web site contains links to some of the best literature for patients and supporters alike (see Resources below).
• Ask your loved one's doctor for advice on how to support her. If you are not close enough to the patient to speak with her doctor (for instance, if you are a co-worker or neighbor rather than a spouse or adult child), you can find helpful tips online instead.
• It's important to be as positive as possible during the process of treating cervical cancer. If you are having trouble dealing dealing psychologically with your loved one's illness, consider speaking to your doctor about treatments for depression or anxiety. You can also join a support group for family members of cancer patients.
• Understand that the patient has the final say in which treatments to pursue and when to stop treatment. You may feel that you know best, but ultimately the patient's treatment decisions are up to her.

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