Think and act with compassion, for yourself and others.

Friends and family getting on your nerves with their constant advice? Keep in mind that your loved ones are struggling with your diagnosis, just as you are. And they may also share your anger at the unfairness of life, and also be angry that your diagnosis has disrupted the day-to-day routines that you share together. As it is for you, feeling angry is their emotional reaction to lack of control and helplessness. But rather than express their angry directly (and risk being ‘negative’), it may come out through brief outbursts that seem to come from nowhere, attempting to do more for you than you want or need them to do, or shutting down emotionally. If this behavior pushes your own anger buttons, then the result is like throwing gasoline on the proverbial bonfire. Accept that nobody can ever be prepared for a medical diagnosis, neither you nor your loved ones. You are all finding your path through this experience, and it is inevitable that, since human beings are involved here, figuring out the road ahead may mean that everybody – including you – is going to step on someone else’s toes along the way. Forgive yourself and forgive others. We are all in this world together.