![]() “I was receiving an anti-nausea drug called Zofran (ondansetron) as part of my infusion, and it made me so dizzy, I couldn’t drive,” Penny recalls. Penny’s husband, for example, expressed his resentment by refusing to take her to chemo- therapy and radiation appointments, forcing her to ask her parents instead. Although they may not directly express their feelings to the patient, those emotions can fester and manifest in more subtle ways. “It may have been something they could manage before, but now it becomes a much bigger issue and much harder to deal with,” Worthington says.Īnother significant stressor may be resentment on the part of the caregiver. One of the biggest stressors tends to be money - especially if finances were an issue prior to the cancer diagnosis. “It can be really hard for many people.”Ī variety of stressors may erupt as a couple works through cancer and recovery, notes Worthington. “In many cases, underlying issues that were preexisting for the couple really come to the surface as a result of the stress of a cancer diagnosis,” notes Jessica Worthington, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Austin, Texas. Unable or unwilling to face the challenges, they simply walk away from the relationship. But not all partners are up for the job, which can be physically and mentally grueling. Mark unhesitatingly assumed the role of caregiver, doing all he could to help Maryanne. Mark Cantrell, a writer based in Wake Forest, North Carolina, recalls coming home, dropping to his knees and weeping “until there were no tears left,” upon learning that his wife, Maryanne, had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in her chest. Receiving a diagnosis of cancer also can have a devastating emotional impact on the caregiving spouse or partner. “It can be very difficult to navigate,” Corbett says. A cancer diagnosis also can have a practical impact, negatively affecting job security, finances, basic family dynamics and more. In many cases, communication - which may have been difficult before the diagnosis - suffers further, Corbett notes. ![]() “When you think of it in the context of marriage, it brings additional pressure, distress and changes to how a couple typically operate in terms of their relationship.” “A cancer diagnosis often has a ripple effect on how patients see themselves, on their life and on their relationships,” says Cheyenne Corbett, director of cancer support and survivorship at Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, North Carolina. “Our marriage was failing, so I knew no support would be forthcoming,” she says.Ĭancer can damage a marriage or relationship in a number of ways, counselors say. Her husband, however, became resentful and emotionally absent, leaving Penny to deal with the trauma of treatment and challenges of recovery on her own. Penny underwent a lumpectomy then received chemotherapy and radiation. Penny* of Pompano Beach, Florida, saw her marriage flounder and ultimately collapse after she received a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ in her left breast. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior offered a similar conclusion regarding the impact on female patients. “Female gender was found to be the strongest predictor in separation or divorce in each cohort,” the study authors noted. According to a study published in the journal Cancer, a woman with cancer or other serious illness is six times more likely to be separated or divorced soon after receiving her diagnosis than a male patient. However, not all relationships are strong enough to survive a cancer diagnosis, and the details of the cancer course can affect this as well. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, for example, noted that married patients tended to have cancer diagnosed at an earlier stage, when it can be more successfully treated receive more appropriate treatment and live longer than patients who are not married. ![]() This is important because studies show that being in a close relationship can dramatically improve patient outcomes. In most cases, couples draw closer during the cancer journey and come through the experience with their relationship intact. ![]() A diagnosis of cancer can affect every aspect of a patient’s life - including their relationship with their spouse or partner. ![]()
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