As a complement to the first tip on grief and mourning, Alan D. Wolfelt also has a book titled Healing a Friend or Loved Ones Grieving Heart After a Cancer Diagnosis. In his 100 practical ideas for providing compassion, comfort, and care, his first tip is.... 1. Understand what cancer is. -Our bodies make new cells all the time so that we can grow, heal ourselves when weve been hurt, and replace worn-out cells. Every day, our bodies make perfect cells as well as imperfect ones. Fortunately, imperfect cells usually either die or are unable to divide and multiply. Our bodies have cellular quality control built in. -But sometimes, abnormal cells find ways to divide and multiply without control. The cells form colonies called tumors (except blood cancers, which act differently). Some of the abnormal cells can sneak into the bloodstream or the lymphatic system and migrate to other places in the body. This is called metastasis, and when it happens, tumors begin to form throughout the body. -Tumors interfere with the necessary functions of our bodies organs and blood vessels. As they invade and grow, they cut off oxygen, obstruct the GI system, and create openings there that arent supposed to be openings. -There are more than 100 kinds of cancer. We name cancers by the place where they start. Breast cancer begins in the breast, for example. If it spreads to the brain, it is still breast cancer. Pathologists can tell where a cancer originated by looking at the cells under a microscope. -Cancers are said to have stages. Staging describes the extent or severity of a persons cancer. Knowing the stage helps doctors and other caregivers choose the best treatment. It also conveys a probable prognosis. Cancer staging ranges from zero to IV (zero, I, II, III, and IV), with zero being the least serious and IV being the most. Learn a little more about your friends cancer today--not to scare you but to help you be more conversant and supportive. The National Cancer Institutes website, cancer.gov, is a good resource.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:00:01 +0000
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