family today

Breast Cancer Support: Being There With Food

Throughout history, food has done much more than feed the body. It has a spiritual component for humans that is almost as important as its nutrition. The act of sharing bread is central to many of the world’s religions and the expression “soul food” speaks directly to a connection we intuitively know exists between the body and soul.

Getting news of a friend’s breast cancer diagnosis sets the mind racing, wondering how best to support her and her family during upcoming treatment. It is only natural that your mind would settle on the idea of meal preparation as the most immediate of physical helps for a family going through the challenges of illness. However, now more than ever and with the patient and family under this new strain, it is important to keep lines of communication open to make sure that you are truly helpful and not otherwise.

A few thoughtful considerations can go a long way in ensuring that you will be welcomed when you ring her doorbell or step in through the back door over the next few months. Before automatically assuming that your cooking is what she wants, be direct and ask her family. Sometimes there is a family member who already does that job and finds comfort in the task. You certainly would not want to try to disrupt this. Maybe in that case your friend would prefer knowing that you could help with laundry or cleaning on some scheduled basis. These tasks are often overlooked by individuals hoping to help.

If after inquiring, you discover that dropping off cooked meals is really something that will be appreciated, make sure you ask about food allergies and preferences. Your friend, her spouse or children can let you know of some of their favorite food types and perhaps give you a few recipes that can get you started in the right direction. Keep simplicity and nutrition in mind. The goal is to keep people feeling healthy and loved, not to set new haute cuisine standards. Don’t forget to respect any vegetarian or religious food requirements.

Deliver meals in non-returnable containers. Individual sized servings pre-wrapped for the freezer is often a good idea for a family that must stay on the go while Mom is not up to par. Keep in mind that the breast cancer patient is going to have her dietary ups and downs in response to her treatment and plan to inquire about these along the way so that you can add some special accommodations for her as necessary.

To make the task easier for yourself, enlist mutual friends in coordinating a cooking and delivery schedule with you, a communal sharing of effort and expense. Helping stock the freezer with dishes of self-contained meals may be the right way to go for both the casserole brigade and your friend. Don’t forget to let the family know that under no circumstances are they to be burdened by writing Thank You notes. Tell them that the best thanks you could ever hope to receive is their well-being.

Brit has been in the fight against breast cancer for over 10 years and directs web support for the Fight Like A Girl Tee Shirt Store. She is also collating breast cancer stories for women’s encouragement: Breast Cancer Support.