1. Get Proactive
When a member of your family is terminally ill, it is easy to lay blame for the illness on yourself and others. This is counterproductive. Understanding that no one person could cause the disease that your family member has is vital to working towards helping your loved one lead as normal a life as possible despite his illness. Instead of using your negative energy to lay blame, use it to fuel a research project. Learn all that you can about the illness that is plaguing your loved one. Learn about the newest treatments. Find ways that you can take a proactive stand in your family member's treatment and care. Think of things that you can do to make your family life seem as normal as possible despite the restrictions of your loved one's care plan.
2. Enjoy the Time You Have
Many people tend to baby a terminally ill family member. While this can be a good thing that makes her more comfortable, it can also be a bad thing if you let her dwell on all the negative things that are happening. Help to keep the mood light by helping her to focus on the positive things that are going on and that she has done in the past. Go through old family pictures or talk about the good times you have had with her. Be aware that these may cause tears, but they will most likely be good tears. When she has visitors, ask them to help you to keep her spirits up. There are times, such as during a difficult treatment, that she may get depressed. When this is happening, make sure that you listen to her feelings and be sympathetic to them.
3. Take Time to Focus on You
Dealing with a terminally ill family member is an exhausting experience. It is natural to think about the ill family member a lot and to want to spend as much time as possible with him in case the inevitable happens. While this is important, it is just as important to take care of yourself and your other immediate family members. If you have children, they will still need to play and have fun. Take an afternoon off to enjoy your family or simply spend it by yourself. Make sure that you are eating well and staying active. If you are having trouble dealing with your family member's diagnosis, take some time to talk to a friend about how you are feeling. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health when you are dealing with a terminally ill family member. Taking care of yourself will help to give you the strength to continue to care for your terminally ill loved one in the best way that you can.
