Partners and Families

“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient.
It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” – Winnie the Pooh

While the diagnosis of advanced breast cancer is a difficult and painful one for women, it also affects the partners, children, and parents of these women in many ways.

It is reasonable for those close to someone who is dealing with advanced breast cancer to feel the wish for some help and support themselves, both to deal with their own feelings about their situation, and to think about how to best help their partner, and also their children, deal with both the diagnosis, and the day to day living with the illness.

Many partners and family members have found that knowing their partner or mother is in the group is by itself helpful. Many others have contacted the service at various times to talk with us about a variety of subjects, including about how they and their family are managing.

There are also several links on the Useful Links page that may be helpful.

Another opportunity to connect with other partners and family members who have someone living with advanced breast cancer can be found at the Internet Forum for people affected by breast cancer, www.bcaus.org.au. There is a “Partners, Families, Friends” thread on the forum site.