Cancer definitely sucks and treating it is no picnic. Your friend needs your support now more ever to get through this, and you can be a part of this provided you know how. The following are a few tips to help you be the best support system you can be.
Support through Cooking
One thing that is often overlooked is your friend’s need for cooked food. Chemo does a lot to the body, including drain it of energy, meaning that cooking is going to be a little harder. Keep in mind that a person going through this issue cannot eat raw vegetables and has to maintain a strict, healthy diet. You can help your friend during chemotherapy by providing a meal or telling everyone to contribute a few meals throughout the week.
Think about Gift Cards
Chemotherapy comes with a number of additional costs, such as medicines and medical supplies to be used at home. All of these costs are going to pile up on your friend and put a financial strain on him or her that might not have been expected. You want to make sure that you offer a few gift cards whenever possible to help out with food or just to the movies. These little niceties should be a relief when your friend needs it the most.
Find the Best Professional Care
It is important that you consider helping your friend find effective cancer care services. Your friend has a choice as to where he or she is going to undergo chemotherapy. This place needs to offer additional services that could help your friend feel better. Help your friend find a place that offers full chemo services and perks like cosmetic options to ensure your friend looks as normal as possible after the therapy.
Keep Things Natural
Your friend knows that he or she is sick. This is not something you need to remind him or her of every chance you get. Try your best to talk about everyday things or things that you two normally talk about. Believe it or not, you are actually helping your friend feel a lot better about his or her situation if you maintain some semblance of normalcy. This does not mean you should avoid talking about the ailment should your friend bring it up, but just try not to bring it up yourself.
Hopefully, some of these pointers help you be a better friend now. Talk to the chemotherapy specialists to see if there are other steps you can take at the moment. Be open with your friend because this experience should be an honest one.