Cottage Grove sentinel., October 12, 2016, Page 4, Image 33

4 BREAST CANCER AWARENESS - OCTOBER 12, 2016 - COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS | STRENGTH FOR THE FIGHT
Being a Caregiver
C
oping with illness can be a difficult undertaking, especially with something
as serious as breast cancer. When someone close to you is suddenly
diagnosed with breast cancer, you may be left wondering how to help.
Whether you’re giving emo-
tional support, assisting with
doctor appointments or doing
everyday chores that your
loved one is unable to com-
plete, you are a caregiver.
Accepting the new role of
caregiver may be tough. You
may experience a total lifestyle
change and try to put your
loved one before your own
needs. Ignoring your own
needs can cause you to
become less effective as a
caregiver.
A CAREGIVER’S ROLE
The role of a caregiver varies
by situation. The National
Cancer Institute defines a
caregiver as “the person who
most often helps the person
with cancer and is not paid to
do so.”
Caregivers typically serve as
aides or companions and
assist with cooking, transpor-
tation and everyday chores. A
good caregiver is crucial to the
emotional and physical sup-
port system for a cancer
patient.
CARING FOR YOURSELF
It may seem that your wants
and needs are second-tier to
those of your affected loved
one. The experts at The
National Cancer Institute
point out that fulfilling your
own needs will make you a
more effective caretaker.
© FOTOLIA
It may be hard to talk to your
loved one about how you’re
feeling when you know that
they are dealing with so much
already. But having an outlet to
express yourself and your feel-
ings can help you maximize
your ability as a caregiver.
Support groups can offer a
great amount of therapy as you
can discuss your feelings with
people in similar situations.
Talking with others can be a
way of forcing yourself to relax.
This can be difficult with the
amount of stress and feelings
you may be experiencing, but
even a weekly group setting
can help you put things in per-
spective.