Does anyone have any ideas about helping someone with cancer to improve their attitude? My OH was diagnosed a year ago with advanced prostate cancer plus bone mets; he's doing well on enzalutamide, prostap 3/12 injections and calcium iv for bone strength. Now he's about to start 20 sessions of radiotherapy. It's been a difficult year for sure, lots of ups and downs, but we have a reasonable quality of life.
My question is this: how can I persuade him to see the positives rather than focussing on the negatives? He never talks about the future, I think he's in denial that the cancer has shortened his life expectancy, so I don't talk about it either. He's moody and a lot of the time, I guess some of this is side effects of the hormones? I know he gets tired and I've tried to take on most of the household chores, but it seems nothing will get him out of the doldrums. I've read that a positive mental attitude is key for cancer patients, so how do you encourage this?
I have a friend at work who rides a motorcycle often at speed, when we try to talk to him about what he wants in the future he rarely things more than 6 months ahead. Nobody really knows what tomorrow will bring and many people given any cancer diagnosis end up facing their mortatlity.
When my wife was diagnosed I found it hard thinking how I will cope after she died and it almost broke me. I ended up doing a living with less stress course and that really helped me focus on what we have now. Life still likes to throw rubbish at us but with a bit of help generally we end up coping and amazing everything we get through.
How does he feel about you taking on the household chores, perhaps if he had something more to do he might feel a bit more normal and sometimes that can help.
<<hugs>>
Steve
