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 → Tips for caregivers to stay positive?

Tips for caregivers to stay positive?

Page last modified on: October 16, 2008

Question from sue: Marc, what tips do you have for caregivers on how to stay healthy, positive, and connected to their own lives while also supporting a family member with breast cancer?: Answer —Marc Silver, author: Boy, that's a question that I struggled with. I'm an avid jogger and bicycler. I wondered if I'd have time to take care of myself when I felt like I had to take care of my wife and family as well. So, you know what I did? I would ask my wife, "Do you mind if I go for a run?" "Do you mind if I take a yoga class?" Usually, she was fine with it, so then I didn't feel guilty and I had some very important time to do the things I like.

And what I learned is that every caregiver needs a break. And it doesn't mean you're falling down on the job. It just gives you time to regroup, and in the end it will make you a more patient and effective caregiver. When I went jogging, I used to feel as if I could run away from breast cancer for a half hour or so. But I always did run back home.

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.