Caring for someone with cancer
posted by Margherita
15 October 2023

Looking for other spouses/carers to relate to about the experience.

Hi, I am a 39 year old woman, with a 5 year old daughter and a husband in his early 40s who is currently in chemotherapy for secondary cancer. He first had cancer 5/6 years ago, and the outcome of his surgery and chemotherapy then was very positive. Unfortunately, it's come back quite aggressively in multiple sites, and we've had an exhausting time since his first symptoms last December.
I have access to therapy, a good and caring gp, and a supportive family. But I find myself most often craving a conversation with another person whose spouse is in a similar position, or another cancer patient with a young family, or just anyone who can relate to where we are right now. Family and friends mean so well but they don't really know what to say, and that gets tiring to engage with. I'm surprised to discover there are a lot of support groups for patients, but none for carers, that I can find. The cancer support centre in my county has counselling but that's not what I want. I don't need any more sympathy, I need to relate. As I'm sure plenty of people already know, the Facebook groups can be helpful for info but also full of weirdos with juice recipes to cure cancer. Anyone else out there feeling the same way?

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