Parents Dealing with Cancer

So you’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, now what? Here are some suggestions to

cancer 2011 (Photo credit: mike r baker)

get you going on your “Cancer Plan”.

Ask Questions

Find out everything you can find out regarding the treatment options and the type of cancer you have. Ask your doctor, pharmacist, read medical journals and then ask more questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question. Take a notepad and pen with you so that you can record the doctors answers. You will want to refer to them later.

Treatment Options

Many different types of cancer have many different types of treatment options. Ask your doctor which treatment is right for you and why. Take a notepad and pen with you so that you can record the doctors answers. You will want to refer to them later.

Set Up Your Posse

Consider all of your friends and family and have a heart to heart with those that are closest to you. Ask them to be willing to talk you through treatments, give you encouragement, help you remember things after treatments etc. Perhaps some of them will even be willing to go with you to treatments. Don’t go overboard here and rely on just one person or that person can easily become burned out on the situation. Rotate who goes with you to treatment, rotate who helps you out on occasion at home when you need it.

Prioritize

Prioritize your treatment and care. If you can pass other responsibilities off to another family member or a friend, do so. This is an important step in your recovery. That’s not to say you can’t do anything for yourself, but during the roughest times get some help. Remember, you’re not dying, you’re living so this is only temporary while you recover. Each and every day will feel different health wise so be prepared to change your days plans at any given moment.

Relax

It’s a well known fact that the human body heals at its optimum when we are resting. So rest up and allow your body to heal. Take some time out for yourself and don’t feel guilty about it. Read those novels you’ve always wanted to read. Keep a journal and publish it when you’re done.

Time

You didn’t get sick overnight and you won’t be getting well overnight either. Be patient and remember that the treatment has to have time to work. Some days are going to be rough but that doesn’t mean you’re not getting well.

Diet

Cancer medications can often change the taste of your favorite foods. You may prefer something more bland during treatments. Try different foods when your favorites don’t appeal to you. Eat a healthy balanced diet and avoid anything the doctors tell you to avoid.

Gratitude Journal

Many a patient has started a gratitude journal. Simply put, a journal where they write whatever they’re thankful for down. Later, if they’re feeling depressed, they can review this journal and often it will help to bring them out of the depression.

Just as everyone’s life journey is different, everyone’s “Cancer Plan” will be different. There is no right or wrong way to set up your cancer plan. Follow what works best for you and soon you’ll be coming out from the other side of this dark tunnel with restored health.

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Shaq says Be the Difference: Join Be The Match Registry

Give the gift of life to someone. Join the National Marrow Donor Program and donate bone marrow today. You have a wonderful life that you’re living and enjoying, why not give to someone who might otherwise not have a life?

Find out how to Be the match make someone’s life saving transplant a reality. If you’re unable to donate marrow there are many other great ways you can donate to the cause such as:

workplace contributions, IRA contributions, one time gifts, monthly gifts. Your support gives life to others. Won’t you consider donating today?

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In today’s world we’re always in a hurry to get here or there and do this or that. One reason we’re so stressed is that we don’t slow down and take things as they come. Here are some tips to help us slow down, take things as they come and live in the moment.
Exercise
Exercise daily, even if you only have 10 minutes. If your child is in the hospital for treatment and you’re one of those stay with the child moms take a break and walk around the hospital for at least 10 minutes twice per day. It will help you to feel better, give you an emotional release and you’ll feel more able to cope when you return to your little one.
Meditate
Meditate on the good things you have in life. Whether you concentrate on a Bible verse or a simple saying take a few moments of quiet time and meditate upon these thoughts at least once per day.
Hobby
Find a relaxing fun hobby. Perhaps you knit or crochet. Maybe you enjoy puzzles. Whatever it is use it to release your stress and relax.

Let It Go
Let go of the little things that don’t really matter. Ask yourself, “20 years from now will it really matter”? Yes your child’s life will matter but will it matter that you didn’t get that latte? or that you forgot your toothbrush? It’s easy to get caught up in the little things. Learn to laugh about things in a positive fashion.

Stay in the present. Live with your child in the moment you’re in and treasure that moment. Today is the present, open it.

Focus on what’s great about your life, who you are, what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. Ignore the stupid things that are irritating and let them go. Your life will be more fulfilling as a result of this step.

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As you go about your day today think about the moments you have. Every one of us is given the same amount of hours in a day. As a parent of a cancer survivor, and also a parent of an angel, I treasure deeply each moment with my surviving child.

Next time you’re tempted to yell at your child, or just want a few minutes to yourself, stop and think…”What if my child was no longer here with me”. Allow your child to be a child and treasure each and every moment. We never know when it might be their last.

Children are always learning. Each moment is a learning opportunity to treasure. Treasure those learning moments!

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If you’re struggling with a new diagnosis of cancer, or simply want to find a way to help a family dealing with cancer, American Childhood Cancer Organization is a great place to start.

Helping families with a new diagnosis deal with the issues that come up; raising money to help the families in need; sponsoring events that benefit the families of cancer patient; They’re here to help you deal with everything that comes up.

Check out their October newsletter and see what they’ve been up to with the link below.

http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1411013349

Related articles

• Miracle Party | Survivors and Angels (zachner.wordpress.com)

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I have a plaque that sits on my organ at home. I want to share it with you, my readers. It often reminds me that there are things that Cancer cannot do to my life and to my family.

It reads:

What Cancer Cannot Do

Cancer cannot cripple Love,

it actually makes it overflow.

Cancer cannot shatter Hope,

it actually clarifies what hope is for.

Cancer cannot corrode Faith,

it actually strengthens faith’s

convictions.

Cancer cannot conquer the Spirit

because courage faces

cancer’s affliction.

There is no author listed on this plaque. Just great words of comfort and wisdom. Perhaps this is a good time to list the things that cancer cannot do in our lives.

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To give you hope, there is life after cancer. Do not despair. Though we have ongoing medical issues (some related to the original cancer and surgeries and others that are just normal childhood things) we are continuing to trust in God that our daughter will grow up to be a normal happy young woman.

Do not despair. There is hope where there is prayer. If you are feeling down today I encourage you to take a walk, call a friend and just talk. I know from experience how difficult it can be to watch your child going through this difficult time. You wish it were you instead of your child. Know that things will get better in the long run and cherish this time to give of yourself to your child.

Please feel free to drop us a line and share your story as you go through your own personal struggle. Share your strategies for coping as well as your prayer requests!

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Dealing with cancer can be a big challenge for anyone. When its your own child its even bigger.

A diagnosis of cancer changed our lives forever. I have a long family history of a rare childhood cancer called Neuroblastoma.

Over 65 years ago my uncle, at age 3 months, died of a “stomach tumor”. We now know that this “stomach tumor” was neuroblastoma. The story doesn’t end there for my family. I was to lose a cousin at age 4 months, a sister at age 2, my aunt would be diagnosed with it in her early 50′s (very rare for an adult) and my own daughter was diagnosed with this dreaded familial disease at age 13 months of age. All would be gone from our lives on this earth forever within a very short time.

Fast forward 18 years and I became pregnant with our latest miracle. A beautiful daughter. During a routine ultrasound when I was 7 months pregnant, there was a “puddle” on the ultrasound. “What is that?” I inquired of the ultrasound tech, She went for the doctor. I again asked “What is that?”, only this time I inquired of the doctor. “That is what we are going to talk about she went on.” I had shut her out by this time. I knew. My heart stopped for a moment and then I sprang into immediate action.

I called our new family doctor and discussed with  her our family history in depth. She called a wonderful oncologist she knew. Our daughter was delivered 3 weeks early via C-section. Within an hour of her birth she was having a CAT scan. Within a few hours, we knew she too had Neuroblastoma.

At age 3 weeks we began treatment for our daughter. She would ultimately have 5 major surgeries and 7 rounds of chemotherapy treatment.

I am pleased to report that today, she is a thriving 9 year old in 4th grade with no signs of the cancer that once threatened to take her very life. We do have to deal with Addison’s disease (non functioning or in our case no adrenal glands). But that is nothing compared to the time we spent undergoing chemo and surgeries.

I hope that this blog will help someone else along this journey. Please check back often and feel free to leave your comments or prayer requests.

Together we can help each other through this journey.

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As I’ve observed the children in my life dealing with cancer I’ve noticed how they all handle it differently. Many of them handle it with hope, faith and belief, a few handle it with anger and denial.

The younger ones don’t seem to dwell on it as much as the older ones do but then, they’re younger and haven’t lived to see the devastation that it can cause. All in all, I am amazed at the amount of courage most of the children dealing with cancer have. Courage to go through another test, to take yet another drug that while making them well will make them ill.

Often family and friends will try to keep the truth from these young children, but these children are smart and they see right through the efforts of those sorts of friends.

Courage. The word alone is a statement. A statement of faith, hope and belief that no matter what, they can face tomorrow. These young children get up every day and face whatever they must and go right on playing hardly missing a beat. Hooked up to an IV pole they roam the corridors of children’s hospital’s everywhere most of them smiling and making the best of their situation.

These children believe in God, prayer, love, spirituality, gratitude, peace, knowledge, purpose and show a determination that is beyond all understanding for some of us as adults.

Do you know a courageous child undergoing such treatment? What have you learned from them?

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Author: Jun Walker

Though skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, it is also highly treatable and preventable when taking the right precautions.  By monitoring your skin frequently and taking preventative measures (such as using sunblock), you can reduce your risk of getting skin cancer.

First and foremost, try to avoid the sun as much as you can. Seek the shade provided by trees, beach umbrellas or buildings wherever possible. Wear hats and lightweight clothing to cover your skin, protecting it from the sun’s rays that could cause lesions leading to skin cancer.

It’s important to remember that it is possible to be sunburned even when in direct sunlight.  You may become sunburned during a cloudy day, or even when underwater in a swimming pool.  You should use caution even in such situations.

Make sure you are wearing plenty of SPF fifteen or more sunscreen every time you go out in the sun.  You should also make sure that you reapply it often for ways to prevent skin cancer.  If you are sweating or swimming make sure that you reapply after each time.

Your children’s delicate skin should be protected from the sun. As you cannot apply sunscreen on baby under six months, you should protect them from direct sunlight, and cover their skin properly. For older children, apply or direct them to apply sunscreen, whenever they are out in the sun. Advise your children about the dangers of getting skin cancer through too much sunlight; and instruct them to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Skin cancer can be treated but it is important for you to pay attention to any changes to existing growths or new abnormalities that appear suddenly.  It is most important to watch for any changes like increase in size or irregular shapes.  Watching for transparent or multicolored growths on you skin is a must.  And furthermore, it you have any cuts or wounds that don’t appear to be healing, consult your doctor promptly.

You should make it a point to have your skin checked on a regular basis when visiting a doctor. .Ensure that you examine your skin every month.This is one of the best  ways of detecting skin cancer early.  Make sure to be watchful of your skin and health,and if you develop any problems, consult a doctor for immediate treatment.