Understandably, you may feel worried and stressed as you come to terms with the diagnosis and what it means for your child to go through treatment. You may worry that your child will suffer and that your family life is going to be completely disrupted. At first, you may worry that your child is going to die.
When you’re first told the diagnosis, you may feel numb, confused, or unable to hear or remember information about your child’s diagnosis or treatment. You may also feel overwhelmed by painful and powerful emotions. These reactions are normal – remember the doctors and nurses are there to help you at this time. There are also other people and organisations that can offer support.
Looking after yourself
You may feel overwhelmed with feelings and emotions and this is completely normal and understandable.
Looking after your child
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, it obviously has a big effect on them. They may be very frightened as well as feeling unwell and having side effects of treatment to cope with.
Dealing with school
Going to school is vital for children with cancer. School helps them to feel 'normal', rebuild their confidence and reduce the isolation and loneliness which many children with cancer face.
Helping family members
Other family members such as grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles or other close family relatives often have reactions similar to those of parents and may struggle to deal with some of the same emotions.
Seeking information
You may want to find out as much as possible about the cancer and its treatment. There’s a lot of information on the internet but not all of it is reliable, so talk to the doctors about where to look. The best advice is to use a website by a recognised organisation such as CCLG, Macmillan or Cancer Research UK.
Everyone is different – you may read about a child in a similar situation to yours, but they may have a very different experience. Remember, too, that statistics are only helpful to a degree. They are based on large numbers of people and can’t say what will happen with your child in particular.
You can ask the doctors and nurses questions again if you’ve been unable to take it all in. It may help to have someone else with you, and to write down your questions beforehand.
Do not Google for information - just ask and ask your child's consultant the questions that you need to know the answers to. I made the mistake of looking on the internet before being told by the nurse not to.Sarah Nesbitt, mum of child with cancer