Figuring out you have cancer can be one of the scariest moments of your life. Especially since that scary moment does not stop after you are diagnosed. There are so many things that you have to think about during this process that it can overwhelm the best of us very quickly. Here are 7 tips to help cope with the stages of cancer and the uncertainty that can come with them.
1. Lean on the people around you
There are a lot of people around you that are willing to help you through these uncertainties. You are not alone in these fights and there are people around you that can help you decipher the vital thing you do not understand such as guide to PSMA scans. These may not make sense to you but will make sense to others.
2. Your Oncologist is there for you
Though it may not seem like it in the moments that you are sitting in a waiting room for a doctor feeling like you have been there for hours. They do care about you and they do want you to get better. They are there so you can ask all of the questions boiling inside your head. They will be upfront to you and never lie to you whether the news is good or bad.
 3. Support Groups
Support groups can be a great place to turn to if no one around has gone through what you are going through. Despite how much your family members and friends may try to understand sometimes they just can’t surround yourself with people who do can be the most beneficial thing that you can do for yourself. Sometimes helping someone be less afraid is what someone needs to help keep their fear from getting to great.
4. Going to Cancer Events
Now, this may seem like the last place you want to be. Another day being reminded that you have cancer. However, sometimes these are exactly the places that you need to be. These places are filled with cancer patients, cancer survivors and even families of the like. They all will understand what you are going through and these events are designed to celebrate the strength that each and every cancer patient/ survivor has within them.
5. Service/ Emotional Support Animals
There are times where having an animal with you provides support and makes you less afraid. It can also make you more independent. Service animals are there for people who need assistance but still want the independence of doing things on their own. There are also emotional support animals for people who are suffering from anxiety or depression from chemo and just need emotional support. Look around your area to find that kind of services to help you with your needs.
6. Do some research
Look into the type of cancer you have. Understanding exactly what it is can be really helpful in coping with the anxiety and stress of it all. Treatments are also a good thing to research, as this will help take the fear out of what comes next when it comes to your treatment. It will also let you decide what is best for you and what routes you wish to take in your treatment process. Whether you decide to take a treatment path or not it is best to do your research.
7. Learn to love the new you
This may be hard to hear but whether you like it or not this cancer journey has changed you. It has made you stronger or more empathetic and you need to learn to love the new you. Understand that while you are still you, it is more about learning the changes you have evolved through and understanding why those changes take place. Every event in our lives change us and that’s ok.
