Your friend needs chemo, and your head is probably spinning. One minute they were fine, the next, they felt a little sick, and now, they’re battling one of society’s most feared diseases. In 2021 alone, there are 1.9 million new cancer cases. Watching a loved one’s health decline is frightening and devastating. Unfortunately, you can do nothing to rid them of their cancer, but you can help make their life easier along the way.
1. Come With Them to Their Chemotherapy
We all know how harsh chemotherapy is for the body and overall health. It’s also a drawn-out process that takes roughly five to eight hours daily. Sitting in a hospital chair isn’t fun on the best days, but imagine how bored and lonely you can get if you spend your entire day there for weeks or even months at a time.
Offer to go with them to their treatments. Before they got sick, did you and your friend sit around for hours talking without realizing any time had passed? Would you make each other laugh at inside jokes nobody else would understand? They need that more than ever.
Your time and presence are what matter. Don’t worry if you can’t be there the entire duration or need to bring your work computer and send some emails while you’re there. They will feel better knowing that they’re not alone.
2. Help Them Around the House
Have you ever recovered from the flu only to realize your house is a disaster? When we’re ill, cleaning up is the last thing we care about. Now, imagine feeling sick for a prolonged period.
The fatigue from chemo is debilitating. You’re drained in ways you’ve never felt before, and basic tasks now feel too taxing. After a long day in the hospital, your friend likely wants to collapse in their bed.
Even if your friend is physically capable of performing chores, they might struggle to find the strength mentally. Without cancer, one in 20 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as depression. During such an intense time, it’s understandable that tasks like vacuuming or doing the dishes would feel overwhelming, and that’s where you can step in and lessen the burden.
3. Drive Them to the Hospital for Test Research
Any form of testing and results will bring your friend a lot of stress and anxiety. Therefore, when you can, take them to the hospital. At least then, they know they have reliable transportation with someone they trust.
Unfortunately, the resources your friend needs might be far from home. Sometimes you’ll have to travel to a major city to see a specialist, and nursing shortages mean your nearby hospital might not be equipped for your friend’s care. According to Registered Nursing, California is projected to be extremely short-staffed when it comes to nurses in 2030.
This number isn’t unique to California, so if you and your friend have to go on a long drive to receive the proper care they need, consider turning it into a road trip. Blast your favorite music, pull over at scenic lookouts, grab snacks, and enjoy the open road. The destination doesn’t matter. Just enjoy the journey.
Seeing a loved one suffer is devastating, and your instinct is probably to rid them of all pain immediately, but that isn’t possible. They need you now more than ever, and so accompanying them to the hospital, helping around the house, and driving them to appointments are small things you can do to make the time they’re receiving treatment better. Be their confidant, a shoulder to cry on, the one that makes them laugh, and the friend they know they can rely on, no matter what.