Support for husbands?
- Question from jef: My wife has just been diagnosed. They want to do chemo prior to surgery because of the size (8 cm). How common is it to do chemo first? I feel like my guts are being torn out. I want to be positive and strong for her. Are there support groups specifically for the husbands?
- Answers - Rosalind Kleban The first thing I would recommend is a book called Breast Cancer Husband by Marc Silver. He has interviewed many partners and talked about their responses and the ways in which they learned to be helpful. Having chemo before surgery is called neoadjuvant therapy and is quite common for exactly the reason you mention.
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Mitch Golant
I would also recommend a couple of things. There's an organization called Men Against Breast Cancer: Caring About the Women We Love. There are support groups for men, and it seems like a really good idea to consider them. There are groups like that at the Wellness Community, your local cancer center, Gilda's Clubs, etc. (not knowing where you live to help you figure that out).
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