When Your Wife Has Ovarian Cancer

When Your Wife Has Ovarian Cancer

Although a diagnosis that is accompanied by fear and sometimes grim faced physicians, ovarian cancer is no longer the death sentence it once was. Yet whether your wife’s cancer was caught early on and stands a good chance of treatment, or instead was discovered later on and will require highly invasive treatments in the hopes of beating the disease, it is not the type of ailment that only affects her but instead it will have a direct and irrevocable effect on you, your children, her coworkers, friends, and a plethora of other individuals.

While you will never admit it to her face, you are most likely scared out of your wits by the ovarian cancer diagnosis, and may berate yourself for being a shallow character for suddenly entertaining money worries. You are determined to give her the best treatment and care money can buy, but when the insurance company rejects a claim for being an out-of-network provider or for your – allegedly – not having followed proper procedures in securing approval, stress is heaped on top of fear and anxiety, and before long you may feel like you are about ready to explode.

When your wife has ovarian cancer your ability to reduce your stress level and learn to deal with the odds and ends of symptoms, treatment side effects, her fears, and of course your children’s reactions all determine how well you will feel inside and how able you will be in offering help. Although there is no magic way of making it through the experience and not have the ovarian cancer affect you, there are some steps you can take that will help you keep your sanity and be there for your wife and children.

First and foremost, get help from trusted friends and family members. Dole out chores, delegate duties, and enlist help from those who might be able to do some light housekeeping, errand running, provide homework help to the kids, do the driving around duty mom used to take care of before falling ill, and also being that sympathetic ear you can bend over a glass of beer. This will ensure that you are there for your wife while at the same time the household will keep running and the kids get the help they need. Fail to enlist the help of others, and you will spread yourself so thin that you will be of little help to your sick wife.

Get counseling if you are overwhelmed with fear and grief. Ovarian cancer is a serious diagnosis and in spite of a good prognosis, cancer is a term that has many shaking in their boots. Add to this the stress of a wife who might suddenly become demanding, angry, frustrated, critical, and overly emotional - all at the drop of a hat – and you know you need to go vent and learn to deal with the ups and downs without burdening her. A counselor will provide the help and the outlet for your grief and frustration, strengthening you to go back and continue your care giving.