The Beginning

The beginning of your journey down the cancer route and the stages thereafter, willbe an immensely emotional one and before I begin to share the facts with you,I would like to say that at all stages, you need to look after your emotional, physical and spiritual well being, from the time of diagnosis to the remission stage.
Encourage honesty and openess in the family and ensure you are getting the love and security you need as a patient.Ensure that you are kept well informed at all times of what is happening and talk to some one who will listen and attempt to understand.
As a patient,you must be able to express your feelings, without feeling that you need to hide them to protect others.You will be advised by many to remain positive and happy - although these attributes help, you do not have to feel positive and happy - damnit, you have just been diagnosed with a life threatening disease!Speak to someone who has personal warmth, compassion and empathy, someone who is non judgemental,easy to communicate with,has good listening skills,flexibility, emotional maturity, discretion and a respect for confidentiality.Humour is commonly used by some patients as a tool to maintain a sense of perspective in the face of adversity and overwhelming news. It is an individual coping strategythat, like denial, reinforces the central personality ofyou, as a paerson and protects the ego, when external forces threaten it.