Laura has experienced both sides (and more) of the cancer care giving relationship. As a social worker, she spent twenty years working directly with people who were medically ill. As the daughter, sister, and wife of people with cancer, she was a care provider. As a breast cancer survivor, she was a recipient of care. As a hospital volunteer, she uses all these experiences to help others as they move through the phases of cancer treatment.

When I started writing this article, I asked Laura three questions. The first two focused on care received from friends or family members. The third question concerned care offered by professionals and hospital personnel.

How Can Family and Friends Help Loved Ones Who Are Ill?

Laura's answer to this question continually returned to "small" gestures. "When I went for chemo treatments, I really liked it when someone came with me," she said. "My daughter-in-law would bring a Scrabble board to the hospital, and even though I had the chemo drip in my arm, it made the time pass more quickly."

Laura also said that letters, cards, flowers, and simply listening were always appreciated. She said that receiving books or mindless magazines was helpful, even when she was too sick to read them.

It can often be difficult for people who are ill and under treatment to care for their loved ones in the usual ways. For example, when Laura was ill, it was exhausting for her to cook meals for her family. She was fortunate to have friends who would ask if she needed groceries when they went to the store, and who would prepare food for her family. This gesture not only relieved Laura of this chore, but also made it possible for her family to focus on her, not on meal preparation.

How Can Family and Friends Help Loved Ones Who Are Ill and Far Away?

What about when you're not nearby? How can you hold a friend or loved one's hand or simply read them a magazine while they float in and out of sleep if you live 3,000 miles away?

While these specific acts may not be possible, there are lots of other things you can do to help.

The most obvious thing to do is to telephone. Laura remembered a time when her sister, who lived across the country, called in a state of panic. This sister made a routine visit to her doctor and was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital. She called Laura and said, "I'm in the hospital and I don't want to be here and I'm so far away from everyone!" The best Laura could do was talk to her, and she did, for as long as was necessary until her sister was calmer and able to rest.

If you've never experienced serious illness, it may be difficult to understand how isolating illness can be. For this reason, it's important to call the person who is ill when you can. Even if you think you have nothing to say, just saying hello can help. If there's a group of friends or family who like to chat together, you can set up a conference call to talk and laugh for a while as a group.

What if the person who is ill doesn't like to talk on the phone, or is too sick to want to carry on a conversation?

Some suggestions are standard: send a plant or flowers, some favorite or relaxing music, a good book, or a magazine subscription. When two of Laura's friends, a husband and wife, were both ill, she sent them a baked ham. Two weeks later she sent them a roasted turkey. They lived in the north woods of Wisconsin, had miles to drive to the store, and were too tired to go. When UPS delivered the ham, which they ate for a week, followed by the turkey, they were eternally grateful. And for Laura, it was comforting to know that she could still help from across the country.

Laura added, "It's important to not feel alone. And even if family members or friends aren't nearby, or might feel uncomfortable talking about your illness, they can always drop a line. Even receiving a simple 'get well s