Holiday Cheer

Standing in extremely long lines, waiting for a parking space to free up, eating homecooked meals, seeing the Salvation Army ringing the bell outside major stores, and opening presents are just a few signs that let you know the holiday season is here!

We often constitute these signs as a means for people to be full of holiday cheer. Cancer does not wait for a holiday to be over to sneak up. A cancer diagnosis takes off, flies all over, and lands whenever it feels like it. The holidays to a cancer patient and their caregivers can be an extremely hard time. It may be hard for them to smile or find things to be grateful for.

When the holidays aren't normal

Thanksgiving of 2011 was the first time where the holidays did not seem normal. My dad was rushed to the hospital around one o’clock in the morning on Thanksgiving Day. He remained in ICU for the next couple of days due to prostate cancer complications. The normal holiday traveling and other rig amaro my family would normally do just wasn’t there.

By July of 2012, my dad passed away from prostate cancer. Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2012 was the first year of holidays without my dad, and I was completely lost. It did not seem right to even attempt to celebrate the holidays without him being there. Cooking his favorite foods that he can’t eat, buying presents that he can’t open, and telling jokes he can’t laugh at. Navigating the holidays without him being there was going to be a prescription I would have to take forever.

Finding ways to cope

With the spirit of love and joy in your heart, below are ways that I think can help cancer patients as well as their caregivers cope though the holiday seasons:

• Drive another patient to their appointments
• Drop off holiday cards to doctor offices and hospitals
• Provide a book of stamps for patients and their caregivers to send mail/or cards to their loved ones
• Call them on the phone and offer prayers for them
• Offer to complete household chores
• If they feel up to it, meet them at the park to take a stroll and chat
• Fix a meal and take it to the front doorstep
• Drop groceries off at their doorstep
• Take and donate snacks and drinks to doctor offices or where patients receive treatment
• Take and donate inspirational books, magazines, and other reading material to doctor offices

Acts of kindness

All in all, the holidays can be a very rough and hard time for patients and their caregivers. Often, we can forget about the caregivers and loved ones that are caring for the patient. A cancer diagnosis is an unplanned event that affects everyone near and dear to the patient’s heart.

The holidays can also be a time where non-cancer patients are suicidal and depressed. Now throw the monkey wrench of a cancer diagnosis in the midst of the regular roller coasters of life. One act of kindness can prevent a person from getting depressed or suicidal. Your act of kindness can save a life.