What can partners do to help?

Great feedback so far, I feel so blessed, my husband did all of the above, including the bear and the texts.He took control when I struggled, filtered the phone calls, cooked, cleaned, listened attentively, always always encouraging.He was dead set amazing. Never pressued me for intimacy (LOL I used to cry and say that um Intimacy would make me better !!)

I pressured him :)

The only time we had an issue was, a few months after treatment, when I returned to full time work - I had no idea it would take so long to recover, everyone thought that since the treatment was over that I was 'bettter'.

I had a huge breakdown, not his fault, but I struggled to ask for help, found it had to express that I was so terribly frustrated. Nearly 50% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer suffer some form of depression in the first year following treatment. I was terribly active prior to cancer, and simply thought that I could just go back to my old self. Dave didnt understand it either, but once I crashed, and went to seek medical help, unable to even go to work in the end, he again stepped up to the plate.

So my tip for partners is to watch out afterwards - when you think it is all over - that it will take up to two years to recover, to take things just as slowly as when you are having treatment.