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LIVING WITH BREAST CANCER > Relationships
RELATIONSHIPS
If you are in a relationship, your partner is going through a difficult process with you. It is important to communicate with each other about the emotions you are both experiencing, which can include your thoughts and feelings related to living with breast cancer generally, as well as concerns related specifically to your relationship, such as the following:
- Fear that your partner will leave you.
- Fear that your partner will not find you attractive.
- Concern that you do not have enough time and energy to give your partner because of your illness.
- Guilt about the demands that your illness might impose on your partner.
It is normal to feel any or all of these things. Open communication with your partner can help in working through these feelings and maintaining your connection.
Information for partners
If you are the partner of someone with breast cancer, some of the challenges that you may be facing include the following:
- Concern about your partner’s health, including fear of your partner dying.
- Uncertainty about what can or cannot be said, or not being comfortable discussing cancer openly with your partner.
- The need to make practical adjustments, such as assuming new responsibilities at home and, if you have a family, caring for your children.
- Worry over finances.
- Feeling overly protective of your partner.
Here are some things you can do as the partner of someone with breast cancer:
- Listen to your partner in a supportive way, without judging.
- Become informed about breast cancer so that you can discuss it with your partner and support her/his decisions about treatment.
- Understand that breast cancer is affecting your partner emotionally as well as physically.
- Seek social support for yourself if needed.
Good communication can go a long way to helping partners get through breast cancer. It may help to speak to a counsellor if you are having difficulty dealing with issues related to your relationship, either alone or together.
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