My friend is dying and I want to help

My friend is dying. She's got a glioblastoma. It was a huge shock and she's been through a lot of gruelling treatment, none of which will make the cancer go away.

She lives alone and doesn't respond well to affection.

She's very low because she is acutely aware that she's waiting to die.

How can I help? I send her messages with pictures of nature and chat to her. Looking forward to being able to visit her again.

How can I bring her comfort? What can I say or do?

I feel a lot of love for her and have bought her things she might like, but she doesn't respond much to me so I don't like to push her. 

Parents
  • Hi there, 

    I'm sorry to hear your friend is going through this. A close family member is currently in the end stages of this cruel disease. 
    My family member also went through a period of being low in mood and their appetite declined. A long discussion with their GP gave them the opportunity to discuss what they were most frightened of which really helped. Their mood and appetite both began to improve. 
    If your friend is open to speaking to a healthcare professional about any anxieties and/or fears this may help with her mood. 
    Has your friend expressed how she is dealing with things/  wants to deal with what is happening? We've found that it's helped to keep things as normal as possible without dwelling on what is happening medically. 
    It's clear that you really care for your friend, all you can really do is be there when she needs you 

Reply
  • Hi there, 

    I'm sorry to hear your friend is going through this. A close family member is currently in the end stages of this cruel disease. 
    My family member also went through a period of being low in mood and their appetite declined. A long discussion with their GP gave them the opportunity to discuss what they were most frightened of which really helped. Their mood and appetite both began to improve. 
    If your friend is open to speaking to a healthcare professional about any anxieties and/or fears this may help with her mood. 
    Has your friend expressed how she is dealing with things/  wants to deal with what is happening? We've found that it's helped to keep things as normal as possible without dwelling on what is happening medically. 
    It's clear that you really care for your friend, all you can really do is be there when she needs you 

Children
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