Telling Loved Ones You Have Cancer
It’s something that you hoped you would be able to avoid your whole life. You have seen its effects on those around you, but thinking about how it will impact your life directly is a scary thought. The “it” is cancer, and according to your doctors, you have it.
Getting the diagnosis is a huge event in your life. After you begin finding some level of understanding and acceptance, you are tasked with the duty of informing others in your life about the news. Knowing just how to tell someone you have cancer can be incredibly difficult. The way you present the information to them will have a major bearing on how they respond to the update, and in turn, how they will react to you.
Follow these tips for telling loved ones you have cancer to increase your odds of success.
1. Get the Facts
The beginning of the process falls on you and the information your gather from your treatment team. Gathering as much material as possible will help with everything that comes after for you.
Too often, you will be distracted and confused by what your doctor says during the early stages. This is because you will be overwhelmed with emotions, which makes your memory and listening skills poorer. If you miss the information the first time around, do your best to contact your doctor or the staff to clarify the information you’ve missed. The data will help you when communicating to the loved people in your life.
A cancer diagnosis carries huge amounts of emotional weight; fear grows like weeds in a garden. Stress and cancer has a large impact on your mental health.
