Have you ever wished you could hit delete or unsend to words you've said to a friend with cancer?
Or perhaps you didn't know that the words you spoke were hurtful. Just as people read the darndest things into emails - changing the writer's intent in the process - people with cancer often read their own set of lines between words spoken by others.
It's hard to know what to say to someone with lung cancer. But it's not people with lung cancer alone. When it comes to health conditions or even wellness activities, there are words that uplift and words that can sting. A whole host of my fellow health writers, along with our passionate health editors at About.com, decided to take on a daunting task - that of helping guide people as they talk to their friends who are coping with a physical or mental health condition, or pursuing wellness activities such as yoga and walking.
I've shared 10 tips for those who have friends with lung cancer, but I hope you enjoy as well the multitude of tips offered by other guides covering many other health and wellness conditions.
For those who have a friend with lung cancer:
And for those with friends coping with conditions from Alzheimer's to acne, check out:
Photo: flickr.com, user Shaylor
