Reach Out to Others

The sixth of the 7 Principles of Mindfulness in Healing from the book, Healing with the 7 Principles of Mindfulness is to reach out to others. Here is why.

You cannot get through a cancer diagnosis without the help of family and friends. Other people are needed to support your healing and well being. Just to mention a few obvious tasks for you family and friends, you need to be driven to and from the hospital for surgery. You need someone to drive you to chemotherapy appointments. You also will most likely need someone to drive you to radiation appointments.

But what is even more important is to take someone with you at the time of the diagnosis to listen to the doctor with another set of ears. This person should take notes, if necessary and should carry a list of questions to ask your doctor. They can probably remember things that you would willingly forget.

When I was first diagnosed with muscle invasive bladder cancer in 1997, I had five other people in the room with me. One of them was Dr. Marty Rossman, MD. One of them was my wife, Mala. The other three were close friends. Before the doctor pronounced the diagnosis, I showed him a printout of the possible possibilities. The list was a result of my research on the internet into bladder cancer. I think he was astonished with my clarity of understanding of what I had.

When you are at home, you often need the love and support of your family and friends for various tasks around the house or to run errands for you. Believe me, it is important to them to be able to help you, so don’t hesitate to ask. They can get groceries, prescriptions, and medical supplies for you. They can pick up your cleaning and even help clean up after you.

Please don’t ignore this important resource. It can go a long way to helping you feel better.

Tomorrow, I’ll write about the importance of support groups as a second installment to reach out to others.

Who is on your list to help you out and what have you asked them to do for you? Want more information? [Read more…]