How to Care for Someone With Hodgkin's Disease

Hodgkin's disease is one of the rarer forms of cancer, accounting for approximately 4 percent of all new cases reported each year according to the American Cancer Society. This cancer affects the lymphatic system. A person who is undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's disease will need support. Here are some suggestions for how to care for someone with Hodgkin's disease.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Be patient and understanding with someone who is undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's disease. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause weakness, exhaustion and a number of other side effects that can make functioning normally a challenge.
2. Ask the patient's doctor what you can do to help. Ask about tasks that you can perform in the patient's stead. Ask about specific activities that the patients may need help with, such as bathing, walking, getting in and out of cars, and other activities.
3. Participate in activities that the doctor suggested for the patient. Go on walks, change your diet, get involved in support groups and anything else that can help to facilitate healing and comfort for the patient.
4. Read books about how to care for someone who is undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's disease. The American Cancer Society lists recommendations for reading (see Resources, below) and the health section of bookstores will have a selection of books that can give you insight into what works best.

Tips & Warnings

• The Patient's Bill of Rights gives decision making power to the patient, but patients who cannot make decisions for themselves may grant power to significant others or people they trust.
• Encourage someone with Hodgkin's disease to get a second opinion about a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Doing so will verify the accuracy of the diagnosis as well as the best way to attack the disease.