by: Jayne Hutchinson


Everyone is shocked when they first hear the word cancer. Some people may feel they know the test results before they hear them, but it's still a shock to hear the words spoken out loud. It's usually very difficult to hear or remember anything else after hearing that your loved one has cancer.

For many people, the first few weeks after diagnosis are the most difficult. After you hear the word cancer, you may have trouble listening to what is being said, and asking questions that you may have. When you are at home, you may have trouble thinking, eating, or sleeping. Remember, you are not always going to feel this way. We all struggle to figure out how and why this happened. What went wrong? We want answers, and it can make you crazy. Every cancer is different and there just aren't any answers.

You and your loved one will have many feelings after you hear the word cancer. These feelings can change from day-to-day, hour-to-hour, or even minute-to-minute. Some of the feelings you may both go through include:

Anger

Once you accept that your loved one has cancer, you may feel angry and scared. It is normal to ask Why us? and be angry at:

The cancer
Your healthy friends and loved ones
If you are religious, you might even be angry with God

Anger sometimes comes from feelings that are harder to show--such as fear, panic, frustration, anxiety, or helplessness. If you feel angry, don't pretend that everything is okay. Talk to someone about your anger. Most of the time, talking will help you feel better. A lot of times caregivers don't feel like they have the right to these feelings, that only the cancer patient does. Cancer definitely affects the entire family, and you must acknowledge these feelings and work through them, for everyone's sake.

Fear

The word 'cancer' frightens everyone I know! You may be afraid or worried about:

Taking care of your loved one
Taking care of your family
Paying your bills
Keeping your own job while taking care of your loved one
Losing your loved one

Most people feel better when they know what to expect. You will feel less afraid when you learn more about the specific kind of cancer and its treatment....so read as much as you can and learn as much as you can about your loved one's cancer. Don't let the word cancer disempower you. Knowing the facts, and recommended treatments will reduce your fear, and make you a stronger partner for your loved one.

Stress

Your body may react to the stress and worry of your loved one's cancer. You can learn to handle stress in many ways, like:

Talking to people in the same situation as you are
Exercising
Listening to music
Reading books, poems, or magazines
Relaxing or meditating
Talking about your feelings with family and close friends
Writing your feelings down in a journal to get further clarity around them

The key is to find ways to control stress and not to let it control you.

Lack of Control

When you first learn that your loved one has cancer, you may feel as if your life is out of control. You may feel this way because:

You are now focused on doctor visits and treatments
You feel helpless
You feel like you don't have time to do the things you normally do

Stay focused on what you can do, right now, to improve the situation. And remember, it won't always be this way.

Loneliness

You may find that your friends or friends don't know how to deal with your loved one's cancer and they may not ask about it or know what to say. You may not have the energy or focus to take part in the hobbies and activities you used to enjoy. And sometimes, even when you are with people you love and care about, you may feel that no one understands what you are going through as everyone is focused on your loved one.

Consider joining a support group or talking to a close friend or family member that understands. It always help to know that you are not alone.

Hope

Once you have accepted that your loved one has cancer, you will often feel a sense of hope. There are many reasons to feel hopeful.

People with cancer can (and do) lead active lives, even during treatment
Your chances of your loved one's living with--and living beyond--cancer are better now than they have ever been before Many doctors and most alternative practitioners think that hope may help the body deal with cancer. Scientists are looking at the question of whether a hopeful outlook and positive attitude helps people feel better. If you are hopeful, that will help your loved one be hopeful as well.

Here are some ways you can build your sense of hope:

Write down your hopeful feelings and talk about them with others
Plan your days as you usually have done
Don't limit the things you like to do
Consciously look for reasons to hope

You will experience so many feelings as you learn to live with your loved one's cancer diagnosis. It's OK to take time to mourn and let the diagnosis sink in. It may feel like a loss of freedom and safety, but it won't always be this way. Life moves forward, and your loved one's cancer becomes just one more thing in your life that you have to deal with. Once you tackle this cancer head on, there's nothing you can't do!

About The Author

By: Terry Schierer

Whether you are part of an at risk demographic or you are simply concerned about someone who might be. Thinking about the best food for prostate health is something that can be enormously beneficial.

More and more, doctors are beginning to recognize prostate health as a matter of nutrition and it is becoming clear that by taking an active interest in your prostate health, looking at the diet that contributes to it, and changing that diet where it needs it, people are dodging some very risky bullets!

When you are concerned about your prostate health, you are not only looking after your own health needs but eating in a way that encourages your own prostate health is good for your whole family.

One great way that you can contribute to your health is to start eating whole foods. Whole foods, that is, foods that have undergone the bare minimum of processing and have avoided preserving additives ensure that your body is getting all of the nutrients from the food that you are eating.

It is clear that whether you are concerned about the health of a young toddler, a growing teen, or a beloved spouse that eating well can benefit you and your whole family.

When you take steps to ensure your own prostate health, you are setting an excellent example for your family.

If you have children, you already know that children learn best through imitation and that without a good example, they'll be quite impressionable and open to plenty of bad ideas!

Sit down and speak with your children about their health and how to maintain it. If you find that your children have health concerns or suffer from chronic conditions like asthma, tell them the whys and wherefores of their condition and help them think about the best ways to handle them.

When you encourage your children to be pro active about their health and inquisitive about how their bodies function, you are helping them establish a lifetime of healthy habits.

Remember that the sooner you yourself take an interest in your own health, the better off you'll be. Especially if problems with the prostate run in your family, you need to be self-aware.

The earlier you get started, the more likely it is that you'll be able to have a large effect on your prostate health, so make sure that you take an interest soon.

Remember than an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that eating in a health-conscious way can give you plenty of other benefits.

Feeding you and your family the best food for prostrate health will pay you back one hundred fold in great health and long life.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com