In light of these facts, here are five survival strategies for caregivers:

Take care of your physical health. About 67 percent of caregivers say they miss doctor’s appointments or don’t put their care first. Remember, you are no good to your loved one if you get sick.

Take some time off. Make sure you have someone who you can call in so you can spend a weekend, or even an afternoon, to yourself.

Don’t isolate yourself. It’s only human nature sometimes to withdraw from family and friends because your situation can feel overwhelming. Make sure that you stay in touch with people who care about you; don’t shut them out.

Eat right and exercise. When we’re dealing with a highly stressful situation, it’s always easier to just reach for anything to eat, and to put exercise on the backburner. But these are two factors that can help bolster your own physical and mental wellbeing.

Take care of yourself emotionally. Just as people with cancer are prone to depression, so are caregivers. Learn to recognize the signs of depression and if you are suffering from it seriously, get help.

A cancer death in the family also brings particularly stresses and difficulties. Here are five tips for dealing with the loss of a loved one from cancer.

• Give yourself permission to feel pain and loss.  If depression persists, consider joining a bereavement support group or going to a grief counselor.  (The American Cancer Society has resources).
• Be patient with yourself.  The grieving process has no automatic cut-off point.
• Eat well, exercise, and avoid excess alcohol, which is a depressant.
• Do something in memory of your loved one.  There are many types of ways you can do this, including participating in a Cancer walk or run in your loved one’s memories, seeking donations to help support research, or setting up some type of memorial.   Any gesture, big or small, helps.
• Put off making major decisions if you can.   If you lost your spouse or a close loved one, your emotional state may cloud your decision making. This is often very difficult, as you suddenly may be faced with the need to make difficult decisions, some involving finances, so, if this is the case, seek help from trusted sources.

For more on this story go to: http://www.newsmax.com/Health/Health-News/celine-dion-cancer-tragedy/2016/01/20/id/710190/?ns_mail_uid=64942667&ns_mail_job=1651515_01212016&s=al&dkt_nbr=ena5r1pg