Helping Your Family Discuss Cancer with Your Aging Loved One
When my grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer, our family went through a difficult time. We weren’t sure how to move forward. My grandfather was a stubborn and charming man. Like many cancer patients, he didn’t want to go through chemo—yet was willing to try it for the sake of survival. We supported him as best we could, shuttling to and from the hospital daily. I often wondered whether he would’ve chosen differently if he could do it all again. But something I learned is that there’s no right or wrong way to handle cancer. An illness like this doesn’t just affect one person, it affects an entire family: you need to walk—and talk—through it together. At the beginning of a cancer diagnosis, there are a few ways to encourage open discussion about cancer options.
