How to Care for Someone with Colon Cancer

Often, caring for someone with cancer can be as hard mentally and emotionally as dealing with the cancer itself. Helping someone through diagnosis and treatment can be difficult. With colon cancer, the majority of cases are caught in the later stages of malignant growth, so caring can be especially difficult.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

1. Prepare for the unfortunate. While colon cancer is most common in people over the age of 50, several risk factors may cause the disease to begin much earlier. Discuss with your partner now how he or she will want to be cared for if living with colon cancer becomes a reality. Working these things out as early as possible after a cancer diagnosis will lessen the stress later.

2. Learn how to provide proper care. As the patient's condition worsens, bathing, dressing, feeding, grooming and using the toilet will become increasingly difficult. Study techniques or discuss with a doctor proper methods for aiding someone with these everyday tasks.

3. Ask for help if you need it. Never be afraid to admit you can't handle everything by yourself. As the person you care for takes up more of your time, you may not have the energy to deal with the household duties. Share responsibility with other family members or hire a nurse, housekeeper or babysitter for assistance.

4. Maintain a positive outlook. The patient is likely experiencing fear, anxiety and depression. Offering words of comfort and hope can help assuage the patient's negative emotions, though you don't want to invalidate his or her true feelings.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask the oncologist or doctor what follow-up appointments are needed. Your patient may not be in the best frame of mind to schedule them. Keep a datebook in which you can write down all necessary appointments and keep track of important phone numbers.
• Try to be involved with the decision-making process as early as possible.
• Discuss the Family Medical Leave Act with your employer so you can maintain benefits and take time off from work as needed.
• Do not push aside your emotional distress caused by caring for someone with colon cancer. Find a support group or other caregivers who can listen to your frustrations and help you deal with the possibility of losing someone you love.

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[brandy1123]

on 7/6/2008 I just lost my mom to colon cancer it was very fast cancer which spread to her liver so please have a regular check up