When a dear one is diagnosed with cancer, it’s tough to know the right things to say and do.
You want to provide any kind of support you can. Your instinct may tell you to encourage your friend to be positive and push him to have a brighter outlook. You may not know what to do, so your urge is to ask lots of questions about the cancer and comfort of your friend, acting as an unintentional pest.
It’s hard to know the right thing to do to show you care.
First, ask what you can do. Your friend may not have an answer right away, but it is helpful to know you are there. Ask if you can get together on a day your friend feels well and don't talk about cancer. Focus on an outing that reminds your friend of who she used to be and things she enjoyed before cancer hijacked her attention. Keep offering your help but follow your friend's lead and lean into the things she prefers. Lighten the mood for your friend. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine.
Listen in as Lexi Timmons, RN, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share tips on how to be supportive without being a pain.
Cancer Support: What Your Diagnosed Friend Needs
Find out how you can be supportive of your friend who is facing a cancer diagnosis.
Additional Info
- Segment Number: 2
- Audio File: health_radio/1615ml4b.mp3
- Featured Speaker: Lexi Timmons, RN
- Guest Title: Founder of LumpyCards
- Guest Website: Lumpy Cards
- Guest Facebook Account: www.Facebook.com/LumpyCards
- Guest Twitter Account: @LumpyCards
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Guest Bio:
Lexi Timmons has always been drawn to oncology, as she felt she could make the greatest difference there. Lexi became an Oncology RN because she loved the connection she got to make with her patients, it was so satisfying to support them through something so challenging.
But everything changed when her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2012. Cancer became personal, and from then on, every patient reminded Lexi of her mother, and the newfound fear she had. It was crippling watch her mom, the most inspirational woman in her life, her role model, go through what her patients did.
Living more than three hours away, Lexi couldn’t just drop by and be there when her mother was sick. She tirelessly searched for ways to brighten her mother’s day, and ended up buying lots of blank cards, because most of the cards out there were depressing. She wanted to make her laugh, so she started designing her own funny cancer cards.
Lexi’s goal now is to bring laughter to as many cancer patients as she can. Now that LumpyCards has grown and offers wholesale, customizable cards, apparel and tote bags, she is happy knowing that I she make more patients feel good as they walk into the treatment area wearing their empowering LumpyCards apparel and totes. - Length (mins): 10
- Waiver Received: No
- Host: Melanie Cole, MS
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Health Radio