My closest friend got diagnosed with cancer a few weeks ago. My parents are separating and I want to share this news with her but I don’t know if I should talk about my problems or just keep the conversation about her well-being and non-cancer things which are positive. Do you have any advice?
Hi and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.
I'm sorry to read that your friend has recently been diagnosed with cancer and it can be difficult to know what to talk about in this situation. Personally I like my friends to talk to me in just the same way as they would if I didn't have cancer, after all I haven't changed I just have an illness. However, everyone's different so you will need to be led by your friend. You might find it helpful to download this booklet from Macmillan called 'Talking with someone who has cancer'.
As the online community is divided up into different support groups I'm going to recommend that you join the family and friends group where you could ask your question to others who have loved ones living with cancer.
To go to the group just click on the link I've created and then join and start a new post in the same way as you did here. You can also join in with existing conversations by clicking on 'reply'.
It would be great if you could pop something about your friend's diagnosis and treatment into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
If you have any difficulty navigating the community just drop me a reply and I'll be pleased to help
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"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
