Mesothelioma and its treatment are challenging for both patients and loved ones. As a cancer patient, you likely face issues and challenges that others may never understand. A mesothelioma diagnosis, however, is not a prison sentence. Your unique prognosis does not define how you will live the rest of your life. Surviving a mesothelioma diagnosis is life-changing. The burden of anxiety or depression you carry each day can be mind-bending, and the journey you’re enduring is rigorous. Treatments, surgeries, guilt, and physical pain all make it challenging to keep going. As a surviving mesothelioma patient, there is a life to live beyond your diagnosis. Your cancer journey can bring new meaning to your life.
Finding others who are surviving a mesothelioma diagnosis who can relate to you may help ease feelings of isolation, fear, or depression. Find support from community organizations, caregivers, loved ones, or support groups.
Support groups and resources:
For people like Mike Kincaid, mesothelioma does not stop their support for loved ones. The 72-year-old mesothelioma patient supports his son, Woody, throughout his 2020 Tokyo Olympic journey. Kincaid gave up many things that once brought him joy. His son’s running career, however, has continued to bring joy to his life.
As a person surviving a mesothelioma diagnosis, you may not be able to do the things that once defined your happiness, but the relationships you’ve built over time will never be taken away from you. Even when faced with physical barriers, one phone call can maintain your relationships.
Over a quarter of all men and women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with a form of cancer in their lifetime. As supporters of loved ones with cancer, we must be there for them in their darkest times.
As a loved one or caregiver, you can improve a patient’s situation by supporting them during their cancer journey. Whether you assist with the patient’s daily life or stop by for occasional visits, you can serve as a pleasant distraction from cancer for many patients.
Even if you don’t know what to say to a cancer survivor or someone currently living with a disease, they most likely want to feel like things are normal. They don’t want you to feel sorry for them. They just want you to spend time with them.
Rachel Ernst is a content writer at Mesothelioma Hub. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she majored in communication and minored in sociology. She hopes to create public awareness about cancer through her writing. In her free time, Rachel likes to be outdoors, watch movies, and spend time with her animals.
Butler, S. (2021). Kincaid Family’s Summer of Joy Tinged With Sadness. Retrieved on August 5, 2021, from https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a37145995/woody-kincaid-olympic-10000-meter-champion/