Many patients with breast cancer know a breast cancer diagnosis affects family members and friends. Sometimes, the concerns and sudden changes caused by breast cancer, and the treatment become as overwhelming for family members and friends as they are for the patient. Acknowledging the possible changes in the way the patient relates to family members and friends and in the way family members and friends relates to the patient may help the patient in taking steps toward a positive recovery during this challenging time. Communication is the most valuable key in breast cancer recovery.
Personal control refers to the belief that life is not ruled by fate, but that one is personally able to influence the outcomes of important events or situations in life (Henselmans, 2010). Talking and listening to each other is the basis of any loving and caring family. For families finding the time to communicate is important. Families may have busy schedules and finding the time together makes things difficult to communicate. A breast cancer diagnosis is an impact that affects families. Even when the family does get to talk, there are so many interruptions the conversation may go nowhere.
Schedule some time together, away from distractions, so the family and patient will not be interrupted. Talking about something the whole family is comfortable with may help break the ice, like family vacation plans. Once the patient and family is talking, work the conversation around to the patient’s fears, concerns, how the illness has changed the patient, and the importance of the patient’s relationship with their family. The family wants to know how the patient is feeling and the family wants to share those feelings with the patient. Even if the patient’s family is not good at talking that does not mean they are not listening.
The patient may need to do most of the talking. For the patient to listen to what the family has to say is important 3 for all. Keeping eye contact and touch can give words greater meaning and strength. Reassure each other with an open heart. The family may feel that the patient has got enough to deal with without listening to their fears and concerns. The patient and family needs to make it clear that they all, as a family, want to hear how each other is feeling. The patient and family are all in this together. Breast cancer is hard for all relationships, but good relationships are stronger by sharing hardship together.
The family and patient may have doubts, and miss the way their lives use to be, but communication keeps the patient and family close so that these feelings can be reassured. Care is another important part after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The numbers of women facing breast cancer and national concern over medical costs continue to increase; managed care in health care provision has precipitated changes in patient caregiving (Feldman, 2006). Finding a doctor to treat a patient’s breast cancer may be one of the most important decisions the patient and family will ever make.
For the patient and family having a primary doctor involved and one that will refer them to one or more specialists are important. Finding a doctor that will work together with the family and patient for the best care is important. When a patient is first diagnosed with breast cancer, the patient’s chances for getting the best results are the greatest. Because of this, it is important that all cancer specialists and the primary doctor are involved in the patient’s diagnosis, treatment, and discussion that will determine the best action for the patient’s breast cancer care.
Breast cancer treatment will depend on the patient’s personal thoughts, health condition, stage the breast cancer is in, the kind of cancer, and if the cancer has the potential to spread quickly. The first decision involves surgery. Many times, depending on the size and location of the cancerous tumor, a Lumpectomy is all that is required. If a full 4 Mastectomy is required, and then the patient has the option of breast reconstruction surgery. Breast reconstruction surgery is something that the
patient and their family need to decide together and may affect the patient in various ways because at times reconstruction surgery is done at the same time of the mastectomy. Treatment for breast cancer varies greatly, depending on the stage and type of cancer being fought. Chemotherapy is the most widely used treatment to eliminate any cancer cells the surgery may have missed, but the side effects are major. The patient usually loses all of their hair, from head to toe, including eyebrows. It is important for the patient to be prepared and educated on how to care for the changes in their body.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that approximately 2. 6 million US women with a history of breast cancer were alive in January 2008, more than half of whom were diagnosed less than 10 years earlier (Breast Cancer Facts & Figures, 2011-2012) p2. For the patient and family, receiving the best care will help in understanding the disease and allow the family and patient to ask questions is a benefit to all involved. To know the patient and family has a primary doctor that truly cares means more to everyone and helps relieve stress. Hope is another key factor in breast cancer.
With all the improvements in treatments and early detection signs, millions of women are surviving breast cancer. The pink ribbon is the symbol of breast cancer and is used to raise awareness and shed hope to all that suffer from breast cancer. Many organizations raise money through walk marathons to help raise awareness, combat the disease, and help further research. There are many support groups, like the American Cancer Society, which offers one-on-one counseling or a group setting. Most support groups mission is to bring hope to those with breast cancer and to show that cancer does not have to take over the patient and families life.
Support groups can provide education and understanding that 5 the patient and family may not get anywhere else. The patient and family have the option to talk with someone outside the home for better understanding of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society offers a program in many areas called “Look Good… Feel Better” that prepares a patient for skin changes, makeup necessities, and hair and wig care that has proven highly successful with patients. Coping with breast cancer is a family task, and men need help adjusting to their partners’ illness (Feldman, 2006). The support group accepts crying, laughing, and sharing feelings.
Just knowing the patient and family has a friend or a group that has been through breast cancer and the feeling they truly are not alone brings more hope to a better recovery. In conclusion, breast cancer may be tough to go through for the patient and family. To many patients the thought of having breast cancer is devastating. Ignorance is their biggest enemy. For the patient and family to be prepared and educated on the effects of having breast cancer is an important step in recovery. To have communication, care, and hope are especially important in the relationships that patients with breast cancer has with those who love them.
The support the patient and family feels with each other is important in order to overcome breast cancer and have a positive recovery. 6.
References www. American Cancer Society. com. Breast Cancer Facts and Figures (2011-2012) p2 Feldman, Broussard (2006). Men’s Adjustment to their partners’ breast cancer: A dyadic coping perspective. 2006 National Association of Social Workers CCC code: 0360-7283/06, Vol. 31, No 2 Henselmans, Fleer, Devries, Baas, Sanderman, Ranchor (2010). The adaptive effect of personal control when facing breast cancer: Cognitive and behavioral mediators. 2010 Psychology and Health, Vol. 25, No 9.