12. Questions to Discuss...
With Your Social Worker Or Therapist:
- How do I share my diagnosis of cancer with my family? Should I protect them from knowing what is going on?
- What resources exist in this community for people with my disease? For financial help? For information about my illness? For legal help? For counseling help?
- What can I do about all of these feelings and mood changes I am experiencing? Is it normal to feel these things? Angry? Sad? Scared? Overburdened? Picked on?
- How can I deal with the things that are happening to my body? The way I look? My lack of energy? How I feel about myself?
- Will I lose my interest in romance and sex? How can I handle it if my partner is turned off because of my illness?
- What is wrong with me? Some of my friends seem scared or distant since I've gotten cancer. How can I talk with them about this? How do I bring the subject up?
- How can I get myself and my family to look at and plan for the possibility of death? What can I do if they deny it or are uncomfortable when I bring the subject up?
- How do I develop the quality of life I want right now and still take care of my responsibilities to family and friends?
- Why do I sometimes feel guilty about having cancer? Is it normal to think sometimes that I'm being punished by God for past sins? Or, that I caused myself to have cancer?
- I sometimes feel crazy and/or angry with my family and friends. Is this normal? What can I do about this?
- How can I relax and let my body do its job of curing me when there are so many stressful things happening to me?
- How can I get my spouse or lover to talk with me about what is happening and how s/he feels about my illness? How do I handle their being angry at me for being sick?
- What are some of the psychological gains or payoffs I might be getting from having cancer? How do I sometimes use having cancer as a way to manipulate others into doing or giving me what I want? What is the cost to me and my relationships when I do this?
- What can I do when I feel angry or upset with my doctor?
- What can I do if I feel I'm being treated unfairly by the hospital, insurance company, doctor, or therapist?
- How can I deal with friends who try to persuade me to look into different cancer cures, diets, religions, or therapies?