Hiya,
my mum has recently been diagnosed with bowel cancer. It’s been such a shock, she’s only 50 and well I never expected anything like this to happen. Ive been away at uni so probably haven’t noticed the pain she’s been in. Since being told the news I just feel so overwhelmed and so upset. I’m trying to stay focused on the current and just do everything that needs to be done around the house and help as much as I can for her and to keep busy so that I’m not overwhelmed by anxiety. I’m just so worried about everything aspect of this, my mind keeps racing to the future and all the statistical and all the ways this could get worse.
Any tips for not spiralling, adjusting to the news and being a good caregiver would be helpful!
thanks
Hi Stanly24
Welcome to our community, though always a little bit sorry to see anyone join our club I hope you find it helpful.
If we look at your feelings when someone has cancer I know I recognize a lot of what I went through. When I did a living with less stress course I realized that I was busy looking to a future I could not control and not appreciating what I had in the here and now. Again this is very common and sometimes referred to as pre-grief.
Keeping busy is one way of dealing with that, I know when I was at work things might feel almost normal for a while but things were still waiting for me - any trying to get a good nights sleep was hard. I was taught conscious breathing too and that sometimes really helps. My GP even prescribed eco-therapy in getting out for a good walk especially in nature can be really helpful.
I think the biggest thing I had to learn was to make time for me - lots of stuff about "fit your own oxygen mask first".
<<hugs>>
Steve
