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 → Coping with insecurities after treatment?

Coping with insecurities after treatment?

Page last modified on: October 16, 2008

Question from Cecille: I am a breast cancer victim and a survivor. I have undergone removal of my breasts and chemotherapy. What bothers me most is the feeling of insecurity towards my husband, but I know that he loves me. How can I cope with this?: Answers —Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W.: It's not an uncommon feeling to have. It's such a powerful and devastating experience. Many women themselves feel unacceptable and find it hard to believe that people can stand by them, be faithful to them, and love them. The only thing that will help with this fear is time and the caring actions and behavior of your partner. And hopefully with the passage of time you will gain back the security you had prior to the diagnosis. More often than not, the experience of breast cancer brings couples closer together.; Marc Silver, author: I think it's really beneficial to have a change of scene; get away for a weekend or a week's vacation. At home there are reminders of breast cancer everywhere. My wife and I found that even if we went away for one night it helped us reconnect and escape the shadow of this disease. I remember we went away on a vacation after she finished chemo and radiation and at the end of the first day, we realized we hadn't talked about breast cancer the entire day, which hadn't happened to us in six months. So, I'm a big fan of getting away and just having some time together.

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.