The Unexpected Guest:
Approaches to Responding to Health Challenges

Unexpected Guests . . .

The doorbell or phone rings, and you realize it is some person you have no real desire to deal with. If the phone says “Scam Likely” or you see a clipboard when you peek out the window, you know with absolute certainty that you can just ignore the doorbell or send the call to voicemail. But that long-ago lover (it had ended badly), that parent or sibling you have such a hard time with, that touchy neighbor who just waved at you while taking out the trash so knows you are home, your partner or spouse sharing their own difficulties with you, or anyone with bad news of whatever kind—most of these you know you have to deal with.

Responding to such Unexpected Guests is in many ways like responding to medical diagnoses and their treatments. Can I just ignore them? If I choose to respond, how do I react? How do I cope with this myself? How do I help my loved ones navigate the challenges that accompany serious health issues? Do I even know what choices I have in responding? And how do I best decide?

Project Background

The project’s author, Nick Dorochoff, had a couple health challenges since 2019, which included losing the use of his right arm for about four months and being diagnosed with a type of blood cancer. Here’s what he says about how he coped:

“When I'm caught off guard, I have a hard time dealing with the unexpected, so these sudden medical issues were real challenges for me. But preparation for the stem cell transplant took months, which gave me time to find ways to adjust my attitude and help me cope.

After the transplant, friends asked how I dealt with it all. And when I shared some of my experiences with them, they suggested my story could help others in similar situations, both folks facing medical challenges themseslves and those who love and support them. So I decided to find out how others cope with similar challenges and share their experiences along with my own.”