Re:Ask HN: Coping with cancer in the family
by kortilla on Friday November 05, 2021 @11:46PM
(#29127336)
> but at the same time I have grown to dislike a lot of people that weren't around at that time. I feel like I learned who my real family and friends are.
From someone who has been in a similar situation, drop that attitude before it poisons all of your non-serious relationships with other people. There are more categories than “friends who will drop their life for you” and “everyone else”.
Re:Ask HN: Coping with cancer in the family
by CobaltFire on Friday November 05, 2021 @12:26PM
(#29121491)
I’m in this situation (son is 4, diagnosed at 3) and this comment is pretty much everything I would say.
That absolutely includes reading Meditations. My copy is dog eared and has many notes written in it.
Re:Ask HN: Coping with cancer in the family
by lr4444lr on Friday November 05, 2021 @01:15PM
(#29122122)
As a father of two young children, my heart aches when I read this. I hope your daughter's spirits have been high, despite her challenges.
Re:Ask HN: Coping with cancer in the family
by agumonkey on Friday November 05, 2021 @02:24PM
(#29122984)
There's something special about reading words of someone 2000 years ago that resonates so deeply.
Take care
Re:Ask HN: Coping with cancer in the family
by 999900000999 on Friday November 05, 2021 @03:37PM
(#29123835)
Thank you for the book suggestion.
It feels like it does a much better job than modern self help books.
I took "family leave", which is possible depending on which state you live in (within the US at least). I was able to take three months of leave (at a reduced pay).
I lived in the hospital the entire time. I never went back to work though, I just couldn't find the focus, time or effort to be productive in a work/team environment. I honestly lost all "care" for work. I couldn't push myself to care at all and work on something when I was sitting in the same room as my daughter and seeing what she was going through.
My daughter is now 6 years old and I still haven't gone back to work.
What has helped me? Not much.
Seeing the care and love from a few friends and family members has certainly helped me and my family, but at the same time I have grown to dislike a lot of people that weren't around at that time. I feel like I learned who my real family and friends are.
If you're wondering how the friends and family helped... they were simply there, repeatedly. They helped us when we were in New York for treatment far from home. They quit their job and flew from their home country to live with us for over a year to help take care of our other daughter while we were living in the hospital.
Reading Marcus Aurelius' Meditations (Gregory Hayes translation) helped me really think long and hard about my life and what matters (and what doesn't matter). It certainly helped me push forward.