help

[pos30]

Hi i have a grandmother who is 63 years of age. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer earlier this year
and is just about to finish her last round of chemo. Everything is looking well but she is very depressed.
I was wondering if anyone had any tips with helping patients with their depression.

All your advice would be much appreciated
Prue

[JC145]

I agree with the above 2 posts.  Chemo is a rough go ... add losing your hair and much of your insides to surgery takes some of the starch out of ya.  You can't "fix" her .. but agree to talking to her MD, joining this website, finding the "Look Good Feel Good" meeting(s) run by the American Cancer Society.  Anti depressants are not unusual while dealing with cancer. Keeping busy helped me.  I worked when I wasn't in chemo.  Staying at home, by myself (and my thoughts), was the worst.  Judy

[manneca]

I'm 62 and finished my chemo in July. Do you know that she is in fact depressed or simply sad? Ovca is not an easy disease to come to terms with. She may be in a stage of dealing with the disease that she needs to work through. If in fact she is depressed, then the worst thing you can do is to encourage her "to snap out of it." Listen to her. Encourage her to go for a walk with you. Ask her out to a meal with you. Don't pressure her. Is she concerned about the depression? If she is, then encourage her to talk to her doctor, and perhaps a therapist may help or as bohan54 suggested, a group.

[bohan54]

It may help to have your grandma join this forum.  If not, perhaps her treating hospital has a support group she could attend.  My doctor has me on anti depressant medication which helps a lot.  At each visit, he asks me about my emotional and mental status which I believe is part of treating the whole patient, not just the body part.  
Hope she can find peace of mind, she has you looking out for her and that means a lot.  Make sure she gets out of the house when able, the walls do tend to close in.
Best wishes to you both,
Sharon