FREE Mesothelioma Info Packet and DVD!

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Mesothelioma?
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After Diagnosis

Shock | Fear | Denial | Anger | The Need to Be Alone | Blame and Guilt | Depression | "Think Positive"


Shock


"I can't believe it. It can't be true."

Naturally, feeling shocked is often the first reaction when you or a loved one are diagnosed with mesothelioma. You may:

  • Feel numb and not believe what is happening
  • Be unable to express any emotion
  • Find you can only take in small amounts of information
  • Ask the same questions or need to be told the same thing over and over again

Needing to have information repeated is a common reaction to shock.

Some people may find their feelings of disbelief make talking about their illness with family and friends difficult. Others feel the urge to talk about it as a way of helping them to accept the news themselves.

Shock and devastation is also experienced by the families of those who are diagnosed with a terminal illness such as mesothelioma, as they can no longer take the life they share with their loved one for granted. Their hopes and dreams of a future together are suspended and they, too, have fear of the unknown.

Fear

"Am I going to die?" "Will I be in pain?"

Understandably, these are the first things people usually ask about having mesothelioma cancer. You might recognize yourself in this description.

Remember - Mesothelioma patients can live for many years. Mesothelioma clinical trials provide new hope, and this hope grows all the time. Today, many things can be done to help with your pain and discomfort, or to slow the cancer down. See Pain Management for more information.

Many people are worried about their treatment and whether it will be very unpleasant. There is much continuing progress in making treatments easier to cope with, and in reducing and controlling side effects. Stories you hear about people being treated years ago will be out of date. It is best to talk to your doctor about your treatment before relying on rumors or other incorrect information.

Denial

"There's nothing really wrong with me. I don’t have mesothelioma."

Some people choose to cope with their situation by

  • Not wanting to know anything about their mesothelioma cancer
  • Talking about it as little as possible

If that's how you feel, tell the people around you quite firmly that, for the time being, you don't want to talk about your illness. (Sooner or later, however, you will probably find that you do need to confront your illness by talking about it.)

But sometimes you may find it is the other way around. Your family and friends may

  • Deny your illness
  • Appear to ignore the fact that you have mesothelioma
  • Play down your anxieties and symptoms
  • Deliberately change the subject

These sorts of reactions may arise because people are frightened or embarrassed to talk about cancer, or because mesothelioma is such a rare form of cancer, they do not understand what it entails. Others may feel that if they don't talk about it, they can try to pretend it isn't happening. You may, however, want them to support you by sharing how you feel. If the reactions of others upset or hurt you,

  • Try telling them how you feel
  • Reassure them that you know what is happening
  • Explain that talking to them about your illness will help you

Anger

You may feel anger about your illness, which may be directed at
  • Those who are closest to you
  • The doctors and nurses who are caring for you
  • The companies that made the asbestos products and knew they were dangerous
  • God, if you are religious

You don't have to feel guilty about your angry thoughts or moods. But relatives and friends don't always realize that you are not angry with them, but with your illness. It may help to

  • Tell them, at a time when you are not feeling quite so angry, that your anger has nothing to do with them
  • Ask them to read these pages, if talking is difficult

If you are finding it difficult to talk to your family, you may want to discuss this with a counselor.

“Why me?”

Additionally, having mesothelioma cancer can make you feel cross with people who are well. Why should this have happened to you and not to someone else? You may feel

  • Angry
  • Sad
  • Bad tempered

These feelings may crop up from time to time throughout your illness and treatment. Relatives may also be angry that your illness interferes with their lives.

It helps to express your feelings openly. Bottling it up may upset everyone.

The Need to Be Alone

There may be times during your illness when you want to be left alone to sort out your own feelings. This can be hard for family and friends who may not understand how you feel, and want to share this difficult time with you. You can make it easier for them by telling them that

You don’t feel like talking about your illness now, but you will talk to them when you do

You still care about them even if you do not want to talk about your illness

Blame and Guilt

Sometimes in trying to find reasons why cancer has “happened” to you, you may blame yourself or other people close to you for your illness.

While asbestos exposure is the trigger, many factors must coincide to cause mesothelioma cancer. Chance plays a big part. Some people are more prone to developing a mesothelioma cancer because of their genes. Also, workers and others exposed to asbestos were never informed about the dangers, so there was no way that the average person could have avoided these dangers.

In addition, many experts believe a single, tiny strand of asbestos is sufficient to trigger mesothelioma; with the once widespread use of asbestos, these were simply impossible to avoid. Finally, you had to work to earn a living and provide for your family – that was not a choice. Nevertheless, it may be difficult to avoid blaming yourself, but talking about these feelings helps.

Depression

Depression is often triggered by a diagnosis of mesothelioma. You might not be able to think clearly or do things that you always do, or you might not want to get up in the morning. You may want to talk to your doctor or nurse who can
  • Explain to you that these feelings are common with mesothelioma patients
  • Prescribe a course of drugs that may help you
  • Refer you to a doctor or counselor who specializes in the problems of cancer patients

It is quite common for people with cancer to feel depressed, so don’t feel you are different if you need to ask for help.

Dealing with Admonitions to "Think Positive"

One of the things that people with mesothelioma are often encouraged to do is to “be positive”. But that is not that easy. Living with mesothelioma and its treatment can be frightening and painful. There will be times when you may feel low and fear for you future.

Most people with mesothelioma cancer are terrified about how they might die and what will happen to their families if they do die. There are obviously very trying emotions, and it is very difficult to “just take it in stride”. Friends and family, however, may advise you to think positively. It may help to remember that being positive

  • Doesn’t mean being cheerful and optimistic
  • Means recognizing some of the fearful possibilities that arise from having mesothelioma cancer

Nobody should expect you to feel good when confronting fear. Being positive, in other words, means being honest with yourself and others, expressing your full range of emotions.

Being positive and thinking positively can even include

  • Feeling upset
  • Feeling frightened

Such feelings can be a sign of strength – and may reflect your courage in facing up to an uncertain future. It is, perhaps, more about being able to balance the bad with the good, and not allowing negative emotions overwhelm you.