Supporting Loved Ones With Breast Cancer

Take Her Away From It All

While most women with cancer have no choice but to continue on with their busy lives, a break is always welcome. Laura’s first surgery was scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving, and instead of accepting invitations to holiday dinners from family and friends, she went with her friend Elena to get a massage. “She found the only spa in Manhattan that was open on Thanksgiving Day,” says Laura.

Lizanne was in the thick of chemotherapy when her cousin Debbie invited her to the house in Maine where they had spent many summer vacations. “As awful as I was feeling, it was comforting to be in a place that was so familiar,” Lizanne says. When the cancer returned, Debbie invited Lizanne back to Maine with her sister Carol and a few friends. “We listened to music, drank wine, and talked about old times,” says Lizanne. “That weekend was a gift.”

 

Provide Some Comic Relief

Breast cancer is terrifying, but laughter can be an incredible release. That’s why friends with a funny bone were so important to Cathy. When she had her first surgery, a cousin and a colleague went with her. “They were teasing me because I was more scared of the IV than anything else,” says Cathy. “Somehow we laughed about it all, which took away a lot of the fear I had been feeling.” After the mastectomy, it was Cathy’s daughter who cracked her up: “I woke up to Amy giggling. She thought it was hilarious to see me so doped up on drugs. And then I started laughing, too. With such a horrid disease, you have to laugh!”
 
 
 

Celebrate Recovery Milestones

Once you’ve had cancer, it remains in your life forever. “Two years after the initial removal of the cancer with no recurrence, I was labeled in remission,” says Laura. “After five years, I was considered cured.” Even then, being aware that your friend is probably living with a fear of her cancer recurring can make her feel cared for and not forgotten. Laura was especially touched when, exactly two years after her initial diagnosis, she received a beautiful bouquet of pink roses from her friend with a note that read, “Rubin’s Remission Roses.”