Thursday, November 1, 2007

How to care and support a cancer patient

Today I want to share about how you can provide the care and support to cancer person. What I am about to write is based on my experience:-

I'll put it in point form:-
1) When I was diagnose with cancer.
My mind was blank, stun, depress, why me? "devil" begining to whisper in my mind.
Go for 2nd opinion, share with your friends, I get a lot of advice from my friends. By doing so, some friend can even provide their experience on what's best for us, how their friend had went thru the treatment, how to overcome the side effect.
2) Accept the fact that I am the chosen one.
I share openly with you all and that make the different. If the cancer patient is willing to share then he/she had accepted the fact, meaning he/she is ready for the battle to overcome cancer.
3) How to show care and support to a cancer patient?
Do not separate the cutlery, this will show sign that he/she is unwanted or feel isolated.
For me, as a bachelor, I'm use to eating alone but for a family, it is best that we eat together. Eat healthily together using olive oil, organic food, steam fish and less meat. Exercise together, by going for morning walk at the park, feeling the fresh air and practice some gi gong together. Talk or chit chat more with cancer patient, by doing so they will start sharing and maybe will let us know how he/she feels and he/she will never feel loneliness. I experience this myself but for me it is different because I'm damn positive so I overcome it myself by calling, emailing and sharing with you all.
4) Talk to people like Hospis Malaysia or any other charitable organization - they had the experience to advise us what to do next.
When I was down, I don't know who to talk to.
5) Monetary term is the 1st thing that a cancer patient is worry about.
Thank you all for all the donations that you all had shower to me (this help on my daily expenses), I'm lucky to know you all. Luckily I had bought critical illnesses insurance policy (this help on my medical bills). I had use about RM20k for chinese medicine, RM90k for western medicine and RM40k for travelling and food. This is a lot of money and I consider myself very lucky as I do not have to worry about the money.

What I had written above is based on how I had experienced it and it work for me; I hope it will come handy to other cancer patient.

Cheers.
Michael Gan

No comments: