reassure them often that they are still loved. With younger children you may also have to quickly eliminate any notion that they somehow caused this illness.
Teenagers are especially vulnerable to stress. They have all the same worries that other members of the family have. They have the same needs for reassurance as younger children. And at the same time they may be burdened by having to take on adult responsibilities around the house. If all this becomes too much to bear, they can rebel by cutting the number of visits to the hospital, not doing their new chores at home or even taking alcohol or drugs.
Strained Relationships Not all families are supportive all the time. Realistically, not everyone is able to be open, loving and intelligently supportive in a crisis. Families sometimes feel death before it even happens. Oncologists have seen patients take a turn for the worse, then have seen family members decide emotionally and psychologically that all is over and stop coming around to the hospital for visits. The family goes into mourning while the patient is still trying to get better and have hope. It's sad to say, but oncologists sometimes see family members fighting at the bedside over wills and codicils.
But even close families and stable relationships can be threatened by the pressures of a long-term illness. Emotional and physical exhaustion, frustration and constant worry and care can all take their toll. Anger and guilt can surface in sudden attacks, recriminations or indifferent or oversolicitous behavior. Other problems that may have been latent in a relationship for years can suddenly emerge.
