Keeping Relationships Strong
- Chrissy Teigen, 38, and her singer husband John Legend, 45, keep their romance alive amid their busy scheduled, and despite experiencing a “pregnancy loss” in the past, a source recently revealed to US Magazine.
- The loving couple welcomed their adorable fourth child, baby Wren Alexander Stephens via surrogate last year. They also have a daughter named Esti, who was born in January 2023, a seven-year-old daughter Luna, and five-year-old son Miles.
- Facing any sort of health battle or traumatic experience, like the death of a loved one, can be extremely overwhelming, so having a good relationship with a partner can be immensely helpful. According to MacMillan Cancer Support, communication is key.
- One of our experts also says surrounding yourself with people, potentially including a partner, who can support you throughout cancer treatment is crucial. Especially since loneliness can impact a person’s recovery.
A source recently told US Weekly magazine that for the famous duo, “Keeping their relationship hot is a priority,” explaining how the loving couple always make time for “sate nights,” eating out, or checking out a ” trendy bar.”
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It’s great to see Teigen and Legend enjoying life together as parents, as they often take to social media to share sweet memories either with their children or by themselves, seeing as they’ve overcome trauma in the past, when they had a “pregnancy loss” back in Sept. 2020.
Expert Resources On Coping With Emotions & Relationship Advice
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- ‘Strong in Cancer’: Navigating New Relationships and Motherhood While Fighting Cancer Is Challenging. We Offer Solutions.
- Body Image, Sex, and Adjusting to a New Normal After Cancer Treatment
- Fear, Anger, Anxiety: You’re Entitled To Your Emotions
- Stand-Up Comedian & Cancer Caregiver, Jesus Trejo Reminds Us That ‘Laughter is a Game-Changer’
During Propper Daley’s “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation” summit back in 2022, Teigen opened up about a miscarriage she said she had, that was instead an abortion.
“Two years ago, when I was pregnant with Jack, John and my third child, I had to make a lot of difficult and heartbreaking decisions. It became very clear around halfway through that he would not survive, and that I wouldn’t either without any medical intervention,” Teigen said at the event, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Their son jack was just 20 weeks old when there was a pregnancy issue, which let to “heartbreaking decisions” to help save her own life.
Teigen ultimately told the summit audience, “Let’s just call it what it was: It was an abortion. An abortion to save my life for a baby that had absolutely no chance. And to be honest, I never, ever put that together until, actually, a few months ago.”
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She added, “I told the world we had a miscarriage, the world agreed we had a miscarriage, all the headlines said it was a miscarriage.
“And I became really frustrated that I didn’t, in the first place, say what it was, and I felt silly that it had taken me over a year to actually understand that we had had an abortion.”
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We’re happy to have seen Teigen open up about the loss of Jack, yet be able to move on and live her life to the fullest despite having been through such a traumatic experience.
Weeks ago, Teigen shared a photo of her and Legend to Instagram, revealing them to be in pink-and-white outfits ready for a night out.
She captioned the post, “I had a really nice birthday. Went to to see my friends @flamingo_estate, had a beautiful lunch with friends, then did ketamine therapy and saw space and time and baby jack and some weird penguins and cried and cried and cried.
“Then laid with my babies, then hot pot, then hung with my best friend.”
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Communication Is Key Through Adversity
Facing any sort of health battle, like cancer, or traumatic experience, like the loss of a child, can be extremely overwhelming. So having a good relationship with a partner can be immensely helpful.
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According to MacMillan Cancer Support, communication is key.
“Try to be yourself and live as normally as possible. Behaving differently may make your partner feel more aware of the cancer,” the organization explains. “It can help to ask your partner what support they would like and find useful. This makes sure you help where it is most wanted and needed. It can also help you avoid misunderstandings.”
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That being said, the person struggling with their health needs to know their limits on what they can handle as they prioritize their recovery.
“Going through [cancer] treatment is a very vulnerable and emotionally exhausting experience,” licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin wrote in a column for SurvivorNet. “Noticing what you have strength for and what is feeling like too much, is extremely important to pay attention to as you navigate treatment.”
Still, Dr. Strongin says studies show that loneliness can impact a person’s recovery. That’s why surrounding yourself with people, potentially including a partner, who can support you throughout treatment is crucial.
Actress Jill Kargman, 48, previously talked with SurvivorNet about how cancer helped her realize her husband was the one during her melanoma journey.
Jill Kargman on Relationships and Cancer
“I think cancer is a great way to find out if you’re with the love of your life or a shithead,” she said. “I think it presses the fast forward button on getting to the bottom of that answer, because a lot of people in middle age are kind of at a crossroads, waiting for their kids to fly the coop.
“I think if you’re with someone who is not supportive and kind of emotionally checked out or doesn’t tell you you’re still beautiful with that, this might not be your person.”
Overcoming Adversity
Overcoming adversity can seem daunting. Many people think reciting upbeat mottos or pretending to be cheerful will help, but these solutions can make someone feel even more dejected than before. Instead, focus on the following steps to make meaningful change.
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1. Set a goal. No matter what the situation, create a new goal for yourself. If you have just been diagnosed with cancer or a chronic illness, perhaps one goal would be to educate yourself about the disease and the possible treatments as much as possible.
2. Make a plan. How will you achieve this goal? Your plan will help you focus on that goal. Dr. Siddhartha Ganguly refers to this determined, focused mindset as “the eye of the tiger,” which can help people dealing with health problems, such as lymphoma and other cancers. “You have to have the eye of the tiger to go through this grueling process that is necessary these days to get rid of these virulent and aggressive cancers,” Dr. Ganguly, a cancer specialist at Houston Methodist, told SurvivorNet.
3. Rely on others. Spend time with people who show you unconditional support and encouragement. They will ease your stress and help you remember that you’re not alone in this! Dr. Samantha Boardman, a psychiatrist and author, tells SurvivorNet that one “coping strategy that can be productive is reaching out, talking to others. Having support we know is really critical in the healing process.”
4. Use positive self-talk. Leave messages with affirmations in places you frequent. Put notes around your mirror or your computer screen that say “You got this!” or “Keep going!” Cut out inspirational quotes from people you admire and surround yourself with their words. Dr. Boardman explains to SurvivorNet that “Positive emotions have unique benefits above and beyond managing negative emotions.”
The Importance of Support
Having a strong support system is crucial during an emotionally and physically taxing time in your life, like battling disease or dealing with the loss of a loved one.
The Benefit of Support Networks for Cancer Patients
“Studies have found consistently that loneliness is a significant risk factor for physical and mental illnesses and the trajectory of recovery,” licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin told SurvivorNet.
“The act of sharing our time and words with others can alleviate emotional and physical pain.”
In order to receive support, however, it is imperative you share at least some details about your journey, either with disease or a disability, with others. But whom you share with and how much to share is entirely up to you.
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“Some people start to kind of share the information with many family members and friends, and they feel that works for them, and that it’s a way that they can get support from other people,” New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik said. “Other people are much more private about it, and there is no one right way to handle this diagnosis. People should do what feels right to them.”
Some cancer survivors don’t need to go beyond their circle of family and friends for support, but others might need a little extra help. For the latter group, Dr. Plutchik recommends reaching out to a mental health professional who has experience working with cancer warriors.
“Try to find a mental health professional who is experienced in this area and who really understands the nuance and intricacies involved in this,” Dr. Plutchik explained. “Make sure that the mental health professional that you work with is reaching out with your consent to the rest of the team, to the oncologist, to the surgeon if those people are involved.
“It can be helpful to reach out to family, friends, anybody else, any other caretakers that would be involved in the person’s treatment. You don’t want a situation where everybody is kind of doing their own thing on the team.”
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We love how Chrissy Teigen and John Legend focusing on their relationship despite having a busy schedule and past trauma, having a strong support system through life is incredibly important, just as it is for anyone battling cancer.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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