Support for my sister

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Bluebird_18
Bluebird_18 Member Posts: 12
edited December 2019 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Hello everyone… I was diagnosed and treated successfully for IDC stage one grade one. I was very fortunate. Unfortunately my younger sister was recently diagnosed with lobular stage III a. She is in the midst of chemo and there’s nothing, absolutely nothing that anyone can do to help her. She’s miserable, she’s negative, she’s depressed, anxious and just wants to run away. She’s halfway through but she still has to have surgery and then radiation. What on earth can I do for her? I find myself angry because I have lost my best friend. She’s absolutely miserable. I was so hoping she would be a warrior for herself. Part of me wants to scream at her “just do it!” And the other half just wants to take care of her like a mother hen. Her husband is extremely supportive as is our mom and my husband and anyone really that she has contact with. I feel like she is sabotaging her recovery. What should I do?

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  • cowgal
    cowgal Member Posts: 833
    edited November 2019

    Perhaps she needs to talk to her MO about going on some anti-depressents or maybe they can suggest something else that will help her depression/attitude.

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  • Bluebird_18
    Bluebird_18 Member Posts: 12
    edited November 2019

    thank you cowgal... Unfortunately she has been anxious her entire life and is on meds for that. She does speak to a counselor affiliated with the hospital where she is receiving chemo.

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  • BlueCoconut
    BlueCoconut Member Posts: 15
    edited December 2019

    Anxiety and depression are different things, though. Her anxiety med may not treat the depression. It’s worth at least a conversation with her oncologist and/or the counselor.

    CBD oil can also be helpful with anxiety and depression. If you live in a state where it is legal, that’s also worth checking into. I have a friend who is a chiropractor and very into holistic medicine, and I get mine from her. She sells 3 brands and I use one called American Shaman. I buy the tincture which is a concentrated form. With CBD products it’s important to research the company that makes them in order to ensure they are quality products...now that they’re legal in so many places, of course lots of companies want to cash in on that so of course there are many products on the market that are not regulated and not made by reputable companies.

    I’m in the midst of chemo myself and some days are better than others. I’ve had a rough time of it this past 2 weeks after treatment 4...had to be in the office 3X a week for hours at a time getting IV fluids and potassium and magnesium, along with having unrelenting diarrhea (which has literally been ongoing since mid-September). Some depressed days are gonna happen for us all. But please encourage her to speak to the professionals. When you get stuck in that depression cycle it can be hard to see that things could get any better

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