Finding the right words to comfort cancer patients
November 8, 2009
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A good friend of mine recently learned she has breast cancer. Even though I spend most of my time writing for a living, I was at a loss for the right words to comfort her.
It wasn’t until I interviewed Dr. Bernadine Healy, a brain cancer survivor, that I discovered there is such a thing as cancer etiquette.
“I found as a patient, sometimes people are awkward, and they’ll say the strangest things to you,” said Healy, former head of the National Institutes of Health and the American Red Cross.
Related books:
- When Someone You Love Has Cancer: Comfort and Encouragement for Caregivers and Loved Ones
by Cecil Murphey, and Michal Sparks (Illustrator)
- Nana, What’s Cancer?
by Beverlye Hyman Fead, Tessa Mae Hamermesh, and Shennen Bersani (Illustrator)
- Facing Cancer Together: How to Help Your Friend or Loved One
by Pamela N. Brown
Read the complete article by CNN Medical Correspondent, Judy Fortin…
Keywords: cancer, cnn, Shelley Lewis, Air America Radio, Five Lessons I Didn’t Learn From Breast Cancer
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posted by mbs4h
Hello Judy,
Here is an idea for offering comfort to someone going through a challenging time when words might fail us. After my own bout with cancer, I began giving other people Purple Hearts to acknowledge courage in the face of challenging times because finding a way to comfort people or the right words can be tricky. The ‘Hope & Healing’ Hide a Heart speaks volumes and can be found on the Hide a Heart web site.