|
Mesothelioma: 5
Top Tips to Help Cope Easier
Living with a
diagnosis of Mesothilioma can be
emotionally extremely difficult to
deal with. Understandably, you
will be feeling upset and
confused as it is not uncommon
for Mesotheloma to be diagnosed
at an advanced stage. Here are
five tips to help you or anyone
else cope with Mesothelioma:
1: Coping with
your feelings.
Everyone has a different
reaction when they learn that
they have Mesotyelioma. A wide
range of feelings and emotions
such as confusion, upset,
worry, depression, shock,
fear, denial, anger, negativity,
etc. And it is also not uncommon for
people to feel relieved on
learning they have Mesothelioma
as they feel it is better to
know than not know at all. Just
because you are having different
feelings to others (or to the
ones listed above) does not mean
that you are not coping. There
is no text book way to cope with
Mesothilioma. The feelings you
experience are naturally right
for you so do not compare your
feelings with anyone else.
2: Finding
others to talk to.
Your family and friends may find
it hard to talk with each other
about Mesotheloma. This is not
unusual as they may be scared of
frightening you or make it more
difficult to talk about in the
future. Most Mesotyelioma
patients feel that a problem
shared is a problem halved. In
some cases, patients feel it is
best just to be listened to and
know that someone is there if a
‘good pair of listening ears’ is
needed. Get the subject out in
the open.
3: How to tell
children.
It is never easy to tell
children about Mesothilioma,
even more difficult if they are
small. Most patients will have
small children, young relatives
or the children of friends in
their lives. If the child you
need to speak with is very
small, start off by explaining
that the person in question is
very ill. If the child is a
little older, it is a good idea
to explain
Mesothelioma cancer
as good cells and bad cells in
the body. It is also a good idea
if you know a little about Mesothelioma or cancer but
overall, try to keep it simple.
You will also need to listen to
the questions from the child and
answer them the best you can
without trying to upset them too
much. Starting off with small
bits of information and building
up to the bigger picture as time
goes on is a good way to go. But
don’t keep any secrets. Children
are good at telling when
something is not right and it
may be harder for them to cope
with uncertainty that it would
be coping with the truth. As
adults, it can be natural to try
and protect children from the
truth but children can pick up
on unusual comings and goings
and will feel left out. Keep
them informed, even if it is
with just little snippets of
information.. If possible, try
to have a word with the child's
school teacher to let them know
that someone close to them is
ill. Hopefully, the teacher will
keep an eye on the child in case
of any changes in the child's
behavior.
4. What can
you do?
Feelings of helplessness are not
unusual when someone is first
told that they have Mesothelioma.
Try and learn to understand
Mesothilioma as this will help
you and your family to take
action and know what to expect.
It is best to talk to a
professional such as your doctor
if you need more information as
they will be able to advise you
on your specific case which is
always better than getting
general information about
Mesotheloma from a book or the
internet. Be sure to take a list
of questions to save time for
you and your doctor. It may be a
good idea to see if there are
any local support groups you can
join. Finding people going
through a similar experience as
yourself can help you cope. Your
doctor or hospital will be able
to let you know if there are any
support groups near to you.
As you are having treatment, you
will find that you may not be
able to do as much as you would
like on a day to day basis. Once
you start to feel a little
better, try and do some simple
tasks and do a little more each
day. This will help with
confidence but always remember
not to over do things. A lot of
patients try to fight
Mesothilioma by planning a
healthy diet, learning
relaxation techniques and taking
regular exercise. You don’t have
to do this, only if you would
like to try it. The last thing
you need are more dramatic
changes in your life if you’re
not ready for them. But if you
do decide to give exercise a go,
start slowly and set realistic
targets. You will have good days
and bad days so always plan your
activity on how you feel on the
day.
5: Who else
can help?
Extra support may come from your
GP if needed. Hospitals can
give advice and support through
cancer nurses and specially
trained staff will can advise you on
any worries you may have. For
financial help, you should check any
insurance policies you have to
see if you are covered. It is
also advisable to seek financial
help from your local welfare
office if needed. Sometimes it
is nice to talk with someone who
has nothing to do with Mesotheloma. You may want to
try counseling or if you’re
religious, speaking with a local
minister or anyone else involved
in your faith.
|