How to cope with being a breast cancer patient's caregiver

Not being able to adjust to being a caregiver

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"When you’re given a new role as primary caregiver to your loved one suffering from breast cancer, you may experience worries about whether you are able to cope with the steep learning curve that involves learning about breast cancer and its treatment, planning your time and work ahead and coping with your own feelings after learning about your loved one’s diagnosis.

You may feel sad, angry or afraid. It is important to recognize that these feelings are normal and by giving yourself time to understand them may help you adjust better. It is also helpful to share these worries and feelings with other loved ones or join a support group for caregivers."

Being unable to cope with themselves while looking after patients with breast cancer

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"Seeing your loved one experiencing breast cancer, having to cope with the pain and discomfort from the cancer itself, surgery or as a result of chemotherapy or radiation therapy side effects is emotionally taxing.

It is especially difficult to steel oneself during your loved one’s emotional breakdowns. These can take a toll on the caregiver’s wellbeing leading to caregiver burnout.

Looking after loved ones with breast cancer can be rewarding as it may draw relationships closer. However, the caregivers may have to put work their work on hold either by working part-time or even quitting their jobs to spend more time taking care of breast cancer patients.

This can have a financial impact on the family which can lead to further stress.

Caregivers also may face difficulty juggling their time between taking care of their children, especially if their children are young and looking after breast cancer patients."

Facing uncertainty about the loved one’s breast cancer trajectory

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"This can be due to the fact that the caregivers may have less direct contact with the healthcare workers and professionals that the breast cancer patients come into contact with.

This then leads to the caregivers relying on second-hand information shared with them by the patient. As a consequence, the caregivers may have many questions unanswered and may have to resort to finding other resources such as the internet to gain more information.

Additionally, caregivers may also face great worry about the possibility that their loved one’s breast cancer reaches a terminal stage or if there is a likelihood of recurrence."