Home → Day-to-Day Matters → Talking to Your Family and Friends About Breast Cancer → Ask-the-Expert Conferences: Family, Friends, Relationships → February 2007: Partners, Loved Ones, Caregivers: Taking Care of You → Scared to lose sister, hard to be upbeat?

Scared to lose sister, hard to be upbeat?

Page last modified on: October 16, 2008

Question from Abigail: My identical twin sister is going through treatment for breast cancer. We have been so close for the last almost 44 years that I feel so lost without her when she's really sick after chemo. I am the main caregiver for her two young children. I find it difficult to always be upbeat.: Answer —Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W.: It is not necessary to always be upbeat. Your twin sister, whom you love, is going through a very difficult time. It's certainly understandable that you're not upbeat. Being emotionally honest does not mean that you're worried she won't survive, but that you honestly feel badly that she's going through this very difficult period. It's kind of a very narrow road where you can say that you're concerned and upset, and at the same time feel that things will work out well. But nobody needs to pretend that going through it, caring for small children, is easy.

On Wednesday, February 21, 2007, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Partners, Loved Ones, Caregivers: Taking Care of You. Author Marc Silver and moderator Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W. answered your questions about how you can take care of your loved one and yourself during and after breast cancer treatment.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Marc Silver is the author of Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (And Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Beyond.

Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W. is administrative supervisor for psychosocial programs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Lauder Breast Center in New York City, where she leads weekly support groups for women with early and advanced breast cancer.