KatieB Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 When someone close to you who has cancer starts to talk about the disease, do you change the subject? Do you want to flee the room? If so, you share these feelings with many others. It's a learning process for us all (patients and caregivers) Share your experiences on how you talk to the person with cancer? And if you have cancer, how do you want others to commincate with you about the disease? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_lindac Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 Great book: "Twenty things cancer patients want you to know". The book is about how each person is different and how even within each person, they may some days want to talk about it, and some days not. The book is a virtual "how to" for people in how to read their friend or family member with cancer. The people I know at the moment who have cancer pretty much don't want to be treated as if they're sick (because except for the cancer, they're not!). At the same time, cancer is a part of their life and it sometimes works its way into the conversation, much the same way as my struggle with 30 lbs often does. I don't know, for me, there is no uncomfortabilty (is that a word?) in talking to my friends and family who have cancers. I think the hardest part is when a person is freshly diagnosed -- I think everyone just needs to acknowledge the big elephant in the room and then learn to live with an elephant in the room! Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted November 25, 2008 Share Posted November 25, 2008 The elephant....I know that elephant! Darn thing, whether it was talked about or not, it would sometimes sit right on my chest and just squish me! I've found, having gone through this myself, that just talking to someone is pretty easy. I talk to the people waiting for the oncologist, I talk to anyone who is going through a tough time about COURAGE and I share my story when I think it's appropriate. Now, as for that damn elephant - it's hard to vacuum around and leaves one heckuva mess after a meal of peanuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_lindac Posted November 26, 2008 Share Posted November 26, 2008 ...but sometimes the elephant will move to the corner and stay out of the way for a while, maybe even let us show movies on his butt. I don't know why I wrote that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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