Coping With Pancreatic Cancer
If you have just learned that you have pancreatic cancer, it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed and scared. You may even find yourself asking, “why me?”. It’s important to know that with pancreatic cancer, treatments are available to help improve longevity.
Diagnosing and treating pancreatic cancer as early as possible will give you the best chance of survival. In this blog post, we look at 3 tips for dealing with the news that you have pancreatic cancer.
1. Talk to your oncologist about treatment options
There are several pancreatic cancer treatment options available, such as pancreatic surgery and chemotherapy, and your oncologist can help you decide which course of treatment is best for you. Understanding these options allow you to play a more active role in your treatment. It may help to bring along a pen and paper along to your appointments so that you can take notes and jot down any additional questions. Remember it’s okay to ask the oncologist as many questions as you feel are necessary.
2. Get support from friends and family
Friends and family can be an invaluable source of support during this time, both emotionally and logistically if needed. Your friends and family may also be able to offer advice that has helped them cope with similar situations in the past. It often helps to bring a member of your support system with you to any oncological appointments so that they can help prepare you for the oncologist’s recommended next steps.
3. Join a support group
Support groups can help connect people who have been through similar experiences, providing emotional support as well as practical advice. In addition to this, they often host guest speakers on topics relevant to living with pancreatic cancer. Support groups are usually led by trained professionals, who can help facilitate discussions about shared experiences or concerns about what the process entails and how to prepare for each stage.
In some cases, pancreatic cancer patients also choose to visit support groups when they don’t feel ready to tell their loved ones about their diagnosis. This allows them to prepare for any subsequent questions and emotional responses. Oncologists usually have information about local support groups that pancreatic cancer patients can check out.
Pancreatic Cancer UK provides online support sessions that are hosted by a specialist nurse to help you meet others who are also going through the same thing. Their online support group offers the chance to:
- Connect with others who are affected by pancreatic cancer
- Seek support and guidance
- Share experiences and feel understood
You can book an online support session here.
Get in touch
For more advice on how to deal with the news that you have pancreatic cancer, contact our team at Birmingham HPB Clinic today to explore your treatment options.
For more information, please read our article on the common misconceptions about pancreatic cancer.