Seven years earlier, her family had been told she had six months to live. Others have combined humor with too much interest in life to let go of it. Many have found they cannot retire from living. Try to recognize your limitations as well as your capabilities. Fatigue can bring on crushing despair, and many people have found that as simple a safeguard as adequate rest fends off depression.
Exhaustion weakens our physical and emotional defenses.
Pain also can make a mockery of attempts to function normally. Physicians have learned much about controlling pain, so all pain, especially if it is prolonged, should be discussed with your physician. This is not the same as giving up. In fact, everyone needs to review insurance policies, update wills, and clean out the closets and drawers from time to time-and that gives you something constructive to do. It is obvious that many of these remarks have been directed toward the person with cancer who is part of a family.