How To Deal With Having Breast Cancer

How to deal with breast cancer

Introduction

A breast is a part of the body that contains cells just like all other parts of the body. These cells die and others grow to replace the dead ones. Sometimes these cells can grow out of control and form a tumor that can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not harmful but the malignant tumors are cancerous. The cancerous tumors on the breast are known as breast cancer. Both men and women are at risk of suffering from breast cancer. Nobody would like to be diagnosed with breast cancer as it is a very shocking and devastating thing to experience. This is because a breast cancer diagnosis affects the life of the affected person greatly and to the extent of changing their lifestyle. However, the way a person copes with breast cancer is what determines its effect on them. The following are tips to help a breast cancer patient cope with the disease in a much better way.

Step 1

Be open
Talk about tour feelings and fears with the people close to you. It might be a really hard thing to do but it will make you feel comfortable and supported. Be specific about the kind of care you want and who want close to you this will not only help you, but also the family members and the people taking care of you will be in a position to take care of you in a much better way.

Step 2

Seek psychological help

Feeling overwhelmed and bitter is normal for the breast cancer patients. This is because, most them being women, they do not embrace the idea of having to live without one or both breast. These makes them stressed and start doing things that are not best for them like eating fewer meals while others will refuse to attend surgery and other checkups. Psychological help will help the breast cancer patients deal with the stress, prevent them from suffering from depression and help them accept the situation positively.

Step 3

Join breast cancer care support groups

Most of these groups comprise of the people who have undergone the breast cancer experience and cancer professionals. Joining such groups will help the patient by making them feel encouraged just by listening to the testimonies of the breast cancer survivors and the reassurance from the cancer professionals who are always ready to help. The professionals will also help the patient to prepare for the breast cancer treatment and give them tips of coping with the aftermath of the treatment.

Step 4

Learn more about breast cancer

Doing just a little research on breast cancer will help the patient learn more about the disease. The patient can request a family member or friend to do the research on their behalf. Learning more helps the patient know what to expect, the things to do make the experience smoother and even the preventive measures to help avoid a recurrence of the disease. This will also expose the patient to the available choices that they can make during the treatment and some guidelines on how to make the choices.

Step 5

Visit the doctor regularly

A patient with breast cancer should visit the doctor regularly and be free to discuss any physical changes that result from the treatment. The doctor will help and guide the patient on how to cope with the physical changes like lack of intimacy. Regular visits to the doctor and checkups will help in the diagnosis of any complications early enough for them to be dealt with before they cause harm to the patient.

 

Conclusion

People with breast cancer tend to have emotional distress and felling of hopelessness. It is therefore the responsibility of the people around them like the family members and friends to help them by offering support, care and making them feel loved at all times. This will make them feel valued and also give them strength to fight the disease.

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