Robert Whitfield MD shares how he coped with his mother's cancer decline using three questions: Do you have control over the outcome? Is it worth your energy? Should you take it on? A practical tool for managing worry when caregiving feels overwhelming.
You know, my mom was dying of cancer and she was wasting away and it was like a month before she passed. And I remember she couldn't go to the bathroom by herself. You know, like I had to carry her to the bathroom. You know, she couldn't eat. You know, it was hard for her to get any food down. You know, she couldn't drive, you know, and at a time when it had moved to the brain, she couldn't communicate well. She couldn't hear. And we spend, you know, all of our days worrying about so much stuff. Here's a practical tip for you. This is what I say for people when you' worrying about a lot, ask yourself three things. Number one, do you have any control over the outcome? Number two, is it worth your energy to deal with it? And number three, based on those responses, should you take it on.
