Caring for a close family member with lung cancer which has spread, palliative care only now. I live alone but am taking it turns with another relative to care. Also having 4x daily carers.
Struggling with witnessing such fast deterioration, relative has become so anxious and frustrated, it's so hard to be there when all I want to do is hug him and make it go away.
I'm dreading the inevitable but I hate seeing the pain & suffering and just want peace. I feel torn.
How do others cope with these feelings?
Hi
The biggest thing the helped me was doing a living with less stress course. I discovered through mindfulness practice that I was living in some future world where things were always blacker and that blocked me from enjoying the here and now. There were breathing exercises that helped me cope with the unexpected - there always seems to be things coming out of the blue. Transcendental meditation though was just not for me.
Relate some more in what you say in relation to my dad, where it was not cancer - and while we expected the end it still hurt but it also felt good to know he was no longer suffering - a huge bag of mixed emotions.
As for how anyone copes - we learn some way because we do really have little in the way of choice.
<<hugs>>
Steve
