Showing posts with label After. Show all posts
Showing posts with label After. Show all posts

How to Know If You Have Brain Cancer - After Diagnosis Who Can I Talk To?

When looking into how to know if you have brain cancer, if one receives the bad news that cancer exists, that person's life has instantly and severely changed for the worse. The questions flow in a non-stop stream; what now, who should I tell, how will I survive, can I beat this, what will happen to those who depend on me, can I continue to work, and many more.
The first thing to establish is what are the choices for communication about the issue. Where can one find answers to the incessant questions? The medical practitioner who gave the diagnosis is the first point of contact for answers. The doctor will have the most business-like and analytical point of view. He/she is formally educated in the area and no doubt has heard all of the most common questions and concerns from many different patients. The doctor will have considerable experience with the patient's emotions about the news and should be able to provide much information and hopefully a much needed compassion to the effects caused by the diagnosis.
It is repeatedly reported that apprising family of the situation has much more benefit than not. There can be a thought to not want to burden others. If the person with the diagnosis doesn't want cancer to be constantly a topic of conversation and doesn't want constant sympathy, it is still better to discussed the situation with loved ones than to leave them uninformed. You would want to know if the roles were reversed.
The individuals emotions seem to run the gamut from anger, to resentment, to disbelief, to grief, to denial, to apathy. These are ways different people react to the news but can also be a series of emotions all within the same person.
The attitude of the individual with the diagnosis seems to an overriding factor in one's chances for recovery and one's quality and length of life. Some people are helped profoundly by talking to others who have cancer. The American Cancer Society keeps lists of such groups for every local area.

I am a father of five and a grandfather of one. I am at an age where health issues have become relevant as cancer, Alzheimer, and a host of others have started affecting family and lifelong friends.

I am educated in journalism and computers and I have extensive background as an executive in the computer and telecomm industries. I have spent a career researching and data gathering for business purposes. I now apply those same skills in a search for effective solutions to health issues affecting my loved ones.

I am sharing my discoveries.

An important link for those interested in treatment choices and cures is:

[http://howtoknowifyouhavebraincancer.blogspot.com/]


View the original article here

How to Know If You Have Brain Cancer - Is it Possible to Resume a Meaningful Life After Treatment?

In researching about how to know if you have brain cancer, certain current event information comes up that is worth reporting on. President Obama is encouraging Congress to craft a bill that would spell out how the federal government could increase the role it plays in making health insurance and insurance benefits available to more Americans. Two Democratic Senators are spearheading efforts to remake the nation's health care system with sweeping health care legislation.  

Senator Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat and chairman of the Finance Committee, is crafting a bill that is aimed at health care reform of private providers to create meaningful, affordable coverage for all Americans. That is in contrast to fellow Democratic Senator Edward M Kennedy of Massachusetts, chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, who favors a comprehensive public health care plan by creating a government sponsored entity that would compete with private insurers. Senator Kennedy is recovering after months of treatment for brain cancer. President Obama favors a public plan choice for the American people in order to "keep the private insurance companies honest."  

Democratic Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York has stated it is unlikely either Senator would support the other's bill but feels they might both support the compromise plan he is developing whereby any public plan would have to comply with the same rules, regulations and standards that apply to private insurance companies. Such a public plan would also have to be self-sustaining without access to federal funds to sustain it.  

The fact that Mr. Kennedy is back in the pressure cooker of holding the job of a Senator with its debates and disagreements as a way of life is an inspiration to other victims of brain cancer. He has resumed a very public life, engaging other high powered individuals on a daily basis, resuming what for him is a "normal life" with those around him fully aware of his brain cancer condition and his struggles with undergoing treatment.

I am a father of five and a grandfather of one. I am at an age where health issues have become relevant as cancer, Alzheimer's, and a host of others have started affecting family and lifelong friends. I am educated in journalism and computers and I have extensive background as an executive in the computer and telecomm industries. I have spent a career researching and data gathering for business purposes. I now apply those same skills in a search for effective solutions to health issues affecting my loved ones. I am sharing my discoveries. A must see link for those interested in treatment choices and cures for brain cancer is:

[http://howtoknowifyouhavebraincancer.blogspot.com/]


View the original article here

Returning to School After a Cancer Diagnosis

"Back to normal" means "back to school" for most children who have been treated for a brain or spinal tumor. When your child returns to school, you want him or her to be treated as normally as possible and it will take the cooperation of both the school and the health care professionals working with your child to make this happen.. To make the transition back to school an easy one the teachers and school nurse should be encouraged to prepare classmates by providing them with information about the disease and treatment and answering any questions they may have. Let the teachers and classmates know what to expect and give them an opportunity to express their concerns and feelings. It is important for teachers to communicate to other students that cancer cannot be caught and that radiation treatments do not make a child who has them "radioactive." These types of open conversations may eliminate children's curiosity and make it easier for them to accept your child back into the class and help them to accept the differences in their classmates and make them more empathetic and willing to help. Some medical centers provide an education team consisting of a child life worker and health care practitioner who can help prepare the class for your child's return, which in some cases may be helpful.

In order to make the re-entry into the scholastic environment less abrupt for your child, the students and the teachers, a slow, transitional approach to reentering school can be helpful, perhaps only having lunch, attending specific classes, or going on a field trip with the class prior to a full-time return to school. It is important to update your child's teachers and the school nurse with whatever medical information will help them help your child in school. The more knowledgeable and familiar the teachers are with how your child functions, the more the classroom environment can be adapted to your child's special needs, no matter what level of school they may be returning.

Before your child returns to school, set up a meeting with the teacher, school nurse, and principal. This meeting will give you an opportunity to discuss any special requests or concerns you might have. Suggest that the meeting also include health care professionals such as neuropsychologists familiar with brain tumor treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and shunts and give your child's teacher a copy of Cancervive Teacher's Guide for Kids with Cancer. You might want to meet or speak with the teacher on a weekly basis to monitor your child's progress; it might also be helpful to connect with your other children's teachers as well. Remember to keep an open line of communication with your child's school. The role the teacher plays is very significant to your child's developmental adjustment and recovery. The teacher and/or school nurse must inform you of any communicable diseases, such as chickenpox, that any class member has contracted. If your child is still in treatment and has not had chickenpox, exposure to this virus can be dangerous, and you should contact your physician immediately. (Chickenpox is worrisome primarily after chemotherapy; doctors rarely worry after radiation therapy.) If informed, teachers can deal successfully with problems concerning your child's self-image and relationships with peers as they arise.

Holding a meeting prior to your child's return to school can be helpful in determining any accommodations that may be needed to meet your child's special needs. Check to see if your school has wheelchair accessibility for both the classrooms and toilet facilities, as special bathroom privileges may be needed. Your child may need playground or gym exemptions, if he or she is easily fatigued or has coordination problems. Seating arrangements in the classroom may need to be adapted if your child has suffered permanent or temporary hearing or visual impairment. You may want to discuss modifying homework assignments with the classroom teacher. If your child needs to take medications during the day, it is very important that you inform the teacher and the school's principal and nurse what the medications are for and what their side effects may be. All of these procedures, if reviewed beforehand, will make a child's return to school much smoother.

The level of parental involvement wanted by a child varies by age, gender, and individual personality. It is important to discuss returning to school with children no matter what age to be sure everyone is on the same page and children are allowed to have a voice in the involvement of their parents in their school. For older children, such as those entering high school, autonomy and a sense of independence is viewed as a necessity for many and for this reason the teacher-parent relationship is very important, because although parents may not be wanted by children in their scholastic environment, teachers have a unique view and can not only watch out for a child but do so in a way that is not considered intrusive. In this way, parents can stayed updated on their child's progress without infringing on their child's world that they are more assuredly desperate to reenter.

Joseph Fay, Executive Director of Children's Brain Tumor Foundation

Joseph Fay, Executive Director of Children's Brain Tumor Foundation, http://www.cbtf.org/


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