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STEP 2: Break The News & Build Your Support Team
Breaking the News
Where do I begin?
Now that you've got a plan, use your Support
System Chart to get on the phone and start making those calls.
This could be as good a place as any "right at the start"
to sabotage the whole being inclusive plan. Who needs this,
you might ask? Wouldn't it be easier to keep it to yourself?
Watch for resistors. Once you get over the initial announcement,
the love and support you will receive in return will more
than compensate for the difficulty of that first call or visit.
Your family and friends and others are your support staff.
They will get you through this if you just ask.
Here are some quick suggestions before you sit
down with a friend or family member to first tell them you
have cancer:
- Whether you call someone or see them in person, you
can say simply, "I need to talk to you. There's something
important I'd like to talk to you about." That usually
gets a person's attention and sends a slight forewarning
that you have something urgent and of a personal nature
to discuss.
- Do your best to find a quiet place and time to talk
where neither of you will be interrupted by phones,
faxes, emails, cell phones, children, spouses or others.
This may be difficult or nearly impossible, but do the
best you can to find some quiet time alone together, if
only out in the back yard for ten minutes. Also make sure
you aren't rushed; it may take longer than you think.
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