Caring for a Loved One with Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is one of the leading cancer-related deaths in American women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and more than half will die from it. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. If you have a loved one recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, now is the perfect time to learn about the condition and what you can do to help.
Educate Yourself
If a loved one is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, one of the first steps is to educate yourself about the disease. By learning about ovarian cancer, you can better understand what your loved one is going through. You can also help your loved one make informed decisions on treatment options and next steps.
Ovarian cancer is cancer that starts in the ovaries. The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system, and they are responsible for producing eggs, estrogen, and progesterone. During the early stages of ovarian cancer, it may not cause any symptoms. Women may experience abdominal bloating, weight loss, feeling full quickly while eating, fatigue, back pain, pelvic discomfort, and frequent urination as cancer progresses. Doctors are still unsure of the cause of ovarian cancer, but risk factors include older age, those with the BRACA1 or BRACA2 gene, a family history of ovarian cancer, obesity, and endometriosis.
Provide Empathy and Patience
When caring for a loved one with ovarian cancer, it’s important to remember that everyone deals with their cancer diagnoses differently. Some people accept their diagnoses and want to get started with treatments right away, and others may need time to process the news and think about their options. Whatever approach your loved one takes, provide empathy and patience as they cope with their new normal.
It’s also important to remember that your loved one may experience a rollercoaster of emotions, and they may have days filled with joy followed by days of angry or depression. Give your loved ones space to express themselves and try not to take any emotions personally. There is no timeline for coping with a cancer diagnosis, so remain patient and let your loved one work through how they’re feeling.
Stay Observant
As a caregiver to a family member, you often need to find a balance between helping your loved one with being overbearing. You may have a loved one who is open to asking for help and guidance and wants you to take the lead during this time. However, not everyone is open to help. If your loved one is more reserved, stay observant of how they’re living and acting and find subtle ways to help them. This could be tidying up the home, offering rides to appointments, cooking meals, or setting out medications for them.
You also want to stay observant of their overall health and let their doctor know if you notice something concerning. Sometimes when a person is diagnosed with cancer, they don’t want to admit they’re sick and try to hide some of their symptoms. They may also feel embarrassed and unwilling to offer up complications to their doctor. Staying observant when with them can help you identify how they feel so their doctor can provide the proper treatment.
Take Care of Yourself
If you want to provide the best possible care for your loved one, it’s important you also take proper care of yourself. Try to give yourself time each day to connect with yourself, whether it’s 10 minutes in the morning or before bed. At least once a week, set aside 30-45 minutes to spend time doing something that brings you joy. Indulge in a hobby, read, work out, or grab lunch with a friend. Building time for yourself into your schedule is essential for avoiding burnout and losing yourself as you care for your loved one.
If the caregiver feels overwhelming at times, you may want to consider hiring a part-time caregiver from an agency such as Visiting Angels Augusta, Georgia, to help your loved one with tasks at home. Visiting Angels caregivers can help with light housekeeping, meal preparations, medication reminders, personal grooming, mobility, transportation to doctor’s appointments, and more. Our Augusta office serves those in Augusta, Evans, Martinez, and the surrounding Georgia communities. If you’d like to learn more about our services and how we can assist you and your aging loved one, you can complete this online form or call us at 706.955.4220.