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Jai Pausch Addresses the Fear and Anxiety Caregivers Experience in the Aftermath of Cancer Treatment for Their Loved Ones with Cancer
Jai Pausch addresses how caregivers can help themselves and their loved ones with cancer deal with the anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness that often accompany a loved one`s cancer diagnosis and treatment in her column on NCCN.com.
FORT WASHINGTON, PA — Caregivers and patients with cancer are not alone in grappling with feelings of fear and anxiety in the aftermath of cancer treatment, assures Jai Pausch in her new “Ask Jai” column on NCCN.com. Ms. Pausch, caregiver and widow of the late Randy Pausch, acclaimed Carnegie Mellon University professor and author of the internationally best-selling book The Last Lecture, responds to a reader’s question about how caregivers can help themselves and their loved ones with cancer deal with the anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness that often accompany a loved one’s diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Because living with cancer may also mean living with a high degree of uncertainty, Ms. Pausch encourages caregivers to become aware of their anxiety levels and to have strategies for regaining control when fear seems to have taken over, something she has personally dealt with as the primary caregiver of her husband. She also recommends seeking a counselor or the advice of a general practitioner who may recommend medications where appropriate to help cope with depression and sleeplessness. According to Ms. Pausch, caregivers and their loved ones can “enjoy life beyond cancer” by accepting help, raising self-awareness, and developing good coping skills. Visit NCCN.com to read the column in its entirety.
“Ask Jai” is a column on NCCN.com, the patient website of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®). NCCN.com features the NCCN Guidelines for Patients™ as well as enhanced content for patients and caregivers.
Jai Pausch, who is a Board Member of the NCCN Foundation, welcomes questions from patients, caregivers, and the general public. To submit a question to the “Ask Jai” column, e-mail questions to askjai@nccn.org.