How to Support A Loved One With Breast Cancer

Find out what you can do during her road to recovery.

It's the Little Things - Have you ever been in conversation with a person you might’ve met once or twice in passing and they remember something about you? Your instant reaction is usually, “Wow, you remembered?” Being observant and paying attention to small details always makes a huge impact when connecting with someone.  (Photo: Mark Edward Atkinson/Tracey Lee/Getty Images)
Myth 6: Having an Abortion Raises Your Risk of Breast Cancer - While the anti-choice movement will spread this lie, it just isn’t true. There is no reputable data that shows a connection between ending a pregnancy and your risk for breast cancer. (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Blend Images/Corbis)
Ask - Don’t just say you’re there if she needs you—she might have a hard time admitting that she needs help, or might feel bad about taking up your time. Instead, ask if you can do very specific things, such as drive her to and from treatment, keep her kids for the weekend, sit with her during treatment, manage her insurance paperwork, attend appointments and take notes, take her dog for a walk every night after dinner, be the keeper of her medical calendar or clean her place every Saturday morning. (Photo: Tetra Images/Corbis)
Healthy Diet  - Cultivating a balanced diet helps build strong cells and healthy breast tissue and plays a vital role in maintaining breasts perkiness.   (Photo: Tim Pannell/Corbis)Connect - As much as you want to help, she can gain a lot from meeting with people who have been where she is and made it through. With her permission, sign her up for a program that will pair her with a mentor who has already survived breast cancer. AfterBreastCancerDiagnosisSupport.org is a great place to start, and MyBCTeam.com is a social network that connects women who are currently living with breast cancer. (Photo: Kate Kunz/Corbis)

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Defer - As much as you want her to heal and thrive, she wants it even more. So as long as she has great information, is following her treatment plan, and has considered all the options, know that the big decisions are hers to make, and yours to support. So accept and respect them. (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Blend Images/Corbis)

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