Living with cancer in childhood

• April 30, 2024

A father never forgets the moment when he learned that his child has cancer. From there, his life takes a radical turn and never becomes the same again.

If the child has been diagnosed with leukemia, or a form of rhabdomyosarcoma, or some other form of cancer childish , the life of the family revolves around medical visits, exams Y treatments . This becomes the new normality.

The first months are perhaps the most difficult. Everything is new and strange. The child can be tested tomography computerized magnetic resonance Y ultrasound , which can seem frightening for a little one. The first week the parents and the child will probably attend the hospital oncology /hematology , they will talk with doctors and social workers. Each time there will be new nurses and you will have to get used to them; until they finally get to know everyone and the area of pediatric oncology It becomes a second home.

When the children they are healthy, the parents They must have time to be with them; much more so when they are sick. It is a delicate act of balance. If the hospital allows it, brothers They can come with parents to visit their brother or sister. The hardest case is when the hospital does not authorize that children under a certain age, perhaps due to a threat of a virus like the flu, visit their brothers, so they have to stay at home or with family or friends.

Childhood cancer changes the life of the whole family. Fortunately, the cure rate for leukemia has increased greatly in the last 20 years. Similarly, treatments for a tumor's sarcoma have improved since doctors have studied what works and what does not.

According to the site cancer.org, about 350 children each year are diagnosed with a tumor sarcoma. That number has remained relatively stable since the records began to be saved. In addition, it is very rare that more than one child in a family will receive childhood cancer.

Researchers have discovered that sarcoma tumors apparently begin in the fetus when a mutation occurs in the cells. Then, sometime after birth, the cells begin to mutate and become the cells cancerous Since childhood cancer is not caused by lifestyle, there is no known way to prevent it from beginning to grow.

If your child has been diagnosed with childhood cancer, we recommend not thinking about the number of visits to the hospital or the overwhelming number of blood tests your child has to undergo. If you predispose you could fall into the despair and that does not help in the least. The best you can do is take one day at a time, organize , schedule and share household responsibilities, as well as child care responsibilities and, above all things, maintain a good sense of humor For the sake of your little one, the stronger you look, the safer you will feel.

Remember that it is important, as a father, sleep enough, eat well , and find time to relax , even in the middle of medical visits and hospitalizations. This can be a moment of growth more like a family, the discovery of new forces. If you need to talk to someone other than your spouse, look Support groups online, go with the hospital social worker, trust your or friends and in you family . You'll be surprised how many people will be happy to help .

Video Medicine: What childhood cancer treatment looks like: Vara's story (April 2024).