Time is of the essence in helping people with pancreatic cancer move from a condition of shock and denial to a mode of living in which they are real and present to themselves and to one another. Caregivers face the possibility of emotional burnout that is exacerbated by the desire to control their environment and everyone in it as an attempt to cope with loss, fear, and feeling powerless.
Both caregivers and patients alike may impose limits on their communication in an attempt to control their anxiety or to ward off fear of dependency, change, loss, abandonment, or other issues that they face when confronting pancreatic cancer. The limits we impose on our communication ultimately preclude our living in a creative, loving, and meaningful way because we as caregivers become more focused on control issues to ward off painful feelings than on living life. When we as caregivers face physical or emotional burnout, we may resist helpful changes because we regard any deviation from our purpose as a loss, and all losses can result in grief, an experience that we hope to avoid.

For assistance write to:

Los Angeles • Dr. Gary Golden westpsydoc@aol.com

Denver • Vicky Baker vickybaker@qwest.net

Chicago • Rami Henrich ramihenrich@yahoo.com

Community Care @ Home  "trusted partner for quality care in the comfort of your home"

"Time is of the essence in helping people with pancreatic cancer move from a condition of shock and denial to a mode of living in which they are real and present to themselves and to one another."