By Oliver Sacks — 2015
A month ago, I felt that I was in good health, even robust health. At 81, I still swim a mile a day. But my luck has run out—a few weeks ago I learned that I have multiple metastases in the liver.
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CLEAR ALL
This is written for the person with advanced cancer, but it can be helpful to the people who care for, love, and support this person, too.
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You not calling, as a friend, can actually compound the grief and loss they are feeling. Just pick up the phone, even if you get it wrong, just have a conversation and do your best. Your friend with cancer is still the same person they were before.
A common sentiment among cancer survivors is that having cancer really tells you who your friends are.
I’ve been disabled and intensely ill with the degenerative neuro-immuno illness myalgic encephalomyelitis (formerly known by the misnomer “chronic fatigue syndrome”) for 30 years.
Research has shown that people with cancer need support from friends. You can make a big difference in the life of someone with cancer.
Figuring out what to say—or what not to say—can feel daunting.
All managers know that they need to help their employees through challenging times. But almost no manager is prepared for when one of their direct reports announces that he or she has cancer, despite the fact that more than 1.6 million people will be diagnosed this year.
When a coworker is diagnosed with cancer, most people simply don’t know what to say. Speechless is the usual reaction.
Taking into account your own wellbeing as well as the best interests of others, here are some of the most important ways to become a better person.
The truth is that many of us just don’t know the right words to comfort someone who is dying.