What Cancer Patients Should Know Before Starting Treatment
Cancer is a really tough disease, and when someone is diagnosed with it, it can be devastating.
This disease is something that scientists haven’t been able to find a cure for, but there are many treatments available. Whether it is chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or even surgery, there are some things you should know before undergoing this treatment.
Depending on your type of cancer, doctors will recommend an option for treating the disease. This doesn’t mean that the patient will be completely cured with just one medicine– no, this is an intense treatment regime that has many side effects, and it could be lethal.
Now, let’s get to some things you should know before diving in to those treatments.
It Is Painful
We all know that cancer is a consuming disease, and anyone that goes through it knows the pain that it involves.
Doctors usually put their patients on some potent painkillers like oxycodone or morphine. But the patient may not agree with these, or they may experience pretty bad side effects.
When receiving chemotherapy and taking painkillers, the combination of those two things is really bad for your body. You may start feeling dizzy, nauseous, and even lose your appetite.
That’s why cancer patients are often looking for a less aggressive treatment, and they may come across cannabis.
Cannabis has many benefits regarding pain relief, as its components are usually found in pharmaceutical medicaments. What most people don’t know when trying CBD is that a special kind of plant can be even more potent at relieving pain.
High THC seeds do a way more effective job at taking the pain away than regular cannabis. The good thing is that, if it’s legal in your state, you can cultivate it in your backyard.
Plants with high THC can give the patient amazing relief from their nausea; it can restore the appetite, and it will give them a mellow high so they can feel better without experiencing any pain.
There’s nothing wrong in wanting to try new things in order to make you feel better. But if you think that cannabis is too much for you, you can always ask the doctor for a change in your medication. We are all different, with varying levels of pain tolerance; that’s why some treatments don’t work with everyone.
It Is Costly
We all know how big medical bills are, and if you’re diagnosed with cancer, make sure that you have enough money to go through with the treatment.
Nowadays, there are a lot of foundations that are destined to help cancer patients to pay for their treatment. But applying for a donation can be hard because they already have hundreds of patients, and the process can take a little longer than expected.
Most people with this disease don’t have time to wait around for an approval; they have to receive treatment right away.
Especially with liver or pancreatic cancer, those are a pretty aggressive form of cancer that often remains unnoticed until it is in its last stages. Patients that suffer from this condition need to receive some kind of medication right away, so cancer organizations may not be an option for them.
Besides this type of organizations, there are many donation websites like GoFundMe. Here you can post a campaign explaining your situation and backing it up with medical records, so people can see the post and donate or share if they want to. This is a great method for collecting money if you don’t have enough to pay the medical bills.
Some families simply can’t afford the treatment, so they withdraw from it altogether. And that is really bad for the patient because without treatment, they will not get better. In other cases, the family has to work twice as hard to maintain their living and afford chemotherapy, but this is not within everyone’s reach.
Don’t Stop Doing the Things you Love
When receiving a cancer diagnosis, usually people get depressed and stop doing everything they love. Doing this can be dangerous for the patient’s mental health, so you must encourage them to give their best on their daily activities.
It’s true that chemotherapy and radiation can debilitate your body, but it’s important that you keep doing exercises and working out like you used to. Maybe a little bit less intense, but you need to keep your body moving! This can be applied to anything, like fashion, drawing, dancing, swimming, or whatever you enjoy doing.
For example, if you love dancing, you shouldn’t stop doing it. Dancing can change your mood and make you feel happier about yourself on those days when you’re feeling down.
It’s the same with jobs too. For example, if you’re a lawyer, you should keep practicing if you feel up to it.
Always Be Positive
There’s nothing more deteriorating than a negative mind. Things will run smoother if you just keep a positive attitude and accept everything that comes your way.
It’s proven that negativism weakens the immune system. So if you’re already weak due to the chemotherapy, there’s no point in debilitating your body even more thanks to those negative thoughts.
There have been some studies done on cancer patients where they chose a handful of people with the same condition, and they evaluated their mindset and their evolution during treatment. Most patients that had a positive mindset overcame their sickness faster than those who were being negative.
So keep in mind that a part of your sickness depends on your mind. If your brain feels stronger, it will make your body fight harder against those cancerous cells.
Spend Time With Your Family
Spending time with those you love is vital. Whether you overcome your sickness or not, your family will appreciate all the time you invested in them.
Sometimes we take our loved ones for granted, but they are the only people in the world that will stand by your side in those tough moments. And frankly, it is your family who will take the best care of you, not the nurses from the hospital or a home nurse. It is them who will lift you up every morning and will do anything that you can’t do by yourself.
We know that having someone we love suffering from this disease is heartbreaking. Sometimes they are experiencing such pain that they need help from their loved ones. So, if you take care of them, and they finally get cured, they will deeply appreciate everything you did for them.
It’s in those hard moments in our life that we realize who really loves us. Someone that claims to love you will stick by your side every step of this journey.
In order to be prepared for any situation, however, you should start working on your will just in case something happens.
Final Thoughts
Receiving a cancer diagnosis is devastating for the patient and for their family. Going on treatment is really hard because they are damaging your whole immune system, and your mood may change sometimes.
Make sure that you know what you’re getting into. Keep doing what you love, spend time with your loved ones, and assess the situation from every point of view.
