Photo credit: Taken by National Cancer Institute under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Having someone in the family who has been inflicted with a terminal disease is very painful. In one way or the other, the members of the family are affected. However, it is most difficult for the patient. The thought of leaving the world soon and everyone else behind is never easy. Despite the fact that the terminally-ill loved one only has a few more time to live, the family will still try its best to help the patient recover. Of course, nothing else is more important than the life of the people you love.
Even if you have shown just how much you care for your sick loved one by seeking all possible medical treatments, the best thing that you can do is to communicate. For people who know that they are leaving this world soon, every moment is precious. They want to as much as possible speak with the people they love and show how much they value them before it’s too late to say the right words. As a member of the family, you need to make sure that you also reciprocate. No matter how busy you are with your work, take time to speak with your sick loved one.
Be strong
When you are speaking with your loved one who is bedridden, you can’t help it but feel pity. However, you need to realize that these sick patients hate it when they are treated with pity. Therefore, you need to stay as strong as possible. Try not to show that you are affected. Don’t break down and cry in front of the patient. Treat the moment as if it were just another ordinary day. Laugh about the things that you make both of you laugh and share life experiences. Make sure that you focus on positive discussions only. As much as possible never talk about the disease or about saying goodbye.
Show your love
Even if you don’t want to talk about death, time will come when the discussion will be opened by your ill loved one. You might be caught by surprise especially when you are just confronted by this topic one day. Yes, you already know that your loved one is terminally ill, but you just don’t really want to think of that idea. However, if the discussion about it begins, just make sure you mention how much you love him. Whatever it is that he says to you, learn to say yes. Make him feel like everything will be fine even if he is gone. Take responsibility of things that you feel like you can be responsible of. Don’t burden him with some more problems. Most of all, remind him how much you love and care for him, and how grateful you are for everything. Hold his hands, caress him, and soothe his spirits with kind and loving words.
Learn to forgive
Being there for your dying loved one might be enough, but the truth is it is not. If you have problems with anyone in the family, try to let your loved one know that you have already resolved everything. If possible, let him see that you are talking again with each other and that you have already sorted things out.
Yes, dealing with someone who is dying in the family can be very difficult. However, you can do something to make every last moment count.