In today's society, divorce is a common phenomenon. After divorce, couples live their own lives without disturbing each other, which can be considered an amicable separation.
However, a recent trending topic has caught everyone's attention.
Eighteen years ago, Ms. Zhou fell in love with another man and resolutely divorced her husband, leaving her three children to live with their father. However, eighteen years later, Ms. Zhou's current boyfriend contacted her ex-husband and knelt before him, pleading for help. The reason was that Ms. Zhou was suffering from cancer, and the couple couldn't afford the exorbitant medical expenses. Desperate, her current boyfriend begged his ex-husband for assistance, hoping to help Ms. Zhou out of consideration for their past relationship.
However, Ms. Zhou's ex-husband was furious. After all, his wife had abandoned him and their three children for her own selfish desires, and now that something had happened, she wanted his help. It was indeed hard for him to accept.
Netizens have their support and opposition, but no matter what they say, it is ultimately their personal relationship. We can only offer our opinions and cannot judge whether Ms. Zhou's ex-husband's choice is right or wrong. What Xiao Ai wants to talk about is how family members should act when faced with a loved one suffering from cancer.
When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, the support of family members is crucial.
Behind every cancer patient is a family, and the help and comfort of family members are often the greatest source of support for cancer patients during their suffering. So, how should family members accompany their loved ones with cancer?
1. Emotional comfort
After a cancer diagnosis, people often feel vulnerable and lonely, making emotional support from family members crucial. Cheng Shujun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a renowned expert in oncology etiology, believes that a positive mindset, a balanced diet, and healthy lifestyle help maintain overall bodily balance; conversely, setbacks or frequent periods of depression can accelerate the development of cancer cells. Patients who are frequently accompanied by family members receive greater psychological support, naturally contributing to a healthier mental state and positively impacting cancer treatment.
2. Body care
Besides emotional support, cancer patients also need to pay close attention to their diet, adhering to the principles of "comprehensive, balanced, and moderate." It's especially important to consider any dietary restrictions that cancer patients may have. Family members are the people who have the most contact with the patient and know their preferences best. In this case, family members can consult with the doctor based on the patient's condition and then make targeted adjustments.
3. Economic support
Cancer treatment places a significant financial burden on patients. When a patient's own financial resources are insufficient to cover treatment costs, family members can provide appropriate assistance. If the entire family faces financial hardship, the first step should be to find the optimal treatment solution, minimizing expenses while ensuring the effectiveness of the treatment. Additionally, seeking external assistance, such as through crowdfunding, can be considered.
How can family members find a balance between cancer patients and their own lives?
On the path of cancer patients' life-or-death struggle against cancer cells, there is a ray of light that always illuminates them. This light is the care and warmth of their families. Like drinking water, only the person drinking knows whether it's hot or cold; cancer is like a calamity, testing not only the patient but also the family members who stand by their side. Faced with this formidable enemy, family members inevitably experience negative emotions.
While you should spend more time caring for your sick family members, don't forget that you also have your own lives. While providing emotional support to the patient, strive to build your own mental well-being and avoid showing negative emotions in front of them. Mutual understanding and tolerance are key.
It's important to communicate your thoughts and needs with patients in a reasonable way, and to actively communicate with cancer patients. For example, when a patient experiences cancer pain, family members can seek medical help. This helps avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and conflicts that could affect treatment and, more importantly, damage family relationships.
A soul-searching question: If a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, should you sell everything you own to raise money for treatment?
Cancer is a chronic disease requiring long-term treatment. Many families struggle under the heavy burden of these ongoing costs, often resorting to selling everything they own to cover the medical expenses. However, for late-stage cancer patients, medical costs can seem like a bottomless pit, with no end in sight. In such situations, should families sell all their assets to cover treatment costs?
This is a matter of opinion. Many late-stage cancers are no longer suitable for treatment; the best we can do is keep the patient in a pain-free state for the rest of their lives. But as family members, we feel we can't give up even the slightest chance to save them. At this point, we should listen to the patient's thoughts, because only they have the right to decide their own life.
In short, the companionship and support of family members are crucial when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Of course, family members should also strive to balance caring for their loved ones with their own lives; this is not only beneficial for the patient's condition but also vital for the mental well-being of the family members themselves.
References:
[1] Wang Yulan, Liu Yan, Dong Jian. Experience in psychological nursing of cancer patients [J]. Qilu Nursing Journal. 2005.
[2] "Academician Cheng Shujun announced the latest medical research results: Cancer fears one word the most!" Sohu.com. 2018-09-19.
