Friday 16 September 2011

Love & Support Are Priceless - Guest Post

I was asked by David Haas if I would host a guest post and am only too happy to oblige.

Love and Support Are Priceless

Love and support are priceless commodities, especially for cancer patients. For many cancer patients, they do not have people in their close network of friends who know exactly what they are going through; therefore, they turn to support groups to be surrounded by other cancer patients.

Support groups are not just for patients with common cancers like breast cancer or skin cancer, but they also can be utilized by people suffering from rare diseases, such as
mesothelioma. Cancer groups are for literally anyone. They are for people who are in remission, people who have mild cancer and for people who just want a genuine perspective on cancer and how it affects people's lives.

These groups are more than inspirational to many people; these groups are life changing. Without them, many patients would have a rough, lonely journey. Patients in remission can give helpful advice to new patients, and new patients can learn things that only another cancer patient could teach them. Doctors do well to give patients all the technical information they need to know, but they can't offer what many patients really want: care and sympathy.

Writing about your feelings and talking about your feelings are therapeutic; they really help people understand themselves in a better light. Moreover, talking about your feelings can help your mind to ease and relax, which in turn helps the body operate more efficiently. When the body is relaxed, the organs and immune system can do what they need to do to help the body recover from intense surgery and radiation treatment.

Support groups help emotionally, as well. Every patient can lean on each other and be an emotional support for other patients. It is empowering to know that there are other people who are not only going through the same situation, but also strive to help keep other patients positive. By being optimistic, patients can help encourage each other, helping them to embrace anything that is thrown their way.

If you have cancer, or you know someone who does, find a support group that you can attend. There are even
support groups online, where patients write to each other and join in on discussions. The love and support from these groups are priceless.

By: David Haas