Seeking Help

There’s no doubt that physical health is the central concern of a patient with mesothelioma. But diagnosis of a life-threatening illness affects virtually all aspects of a person’s day-to-day life. With such a broad reach, a disease can wreak a lot of havoc outside the body as well as inside, quickly overwhelming mesothelioma patients and their loved ones.

Recognizing the many aspects of life that can be affected by a disease—and promptly seeking help and support to navigate all these issues—is vital to overall peace of mind.

A Range of Worries

Some sources of stress relate to everyday concerns. People typically feel a great deal of strain from job and family obligations, financial pressures, health concerns and other problems even before something as stressful as a mesothelioma diagnosis enters the picture. Amid mesothelioma treatment, life—with its problems—still goes on.

A second source of strain is related to the disease and its treatment. New needs arise as specific symptoms are addressed or other medical challenges must be met. The many tasks related to treatment—appointments, preparation, aftercare—all require extra time and effort.

Stress also arises from fear about the future. While some of this is general anxiety related to mesothelioma, its treatment and fear of the unknown, much of the strain can also be traced to specific worries about the fate and long-term security of the mesothelioma patient’s family.

Fortunately, there are many sources of help available to mesothelioma patients, their caregivers and others to help alleviate the strain. Cancer patients should not hesitate to seek help for these peripheral issues.

Where to Start

Many oncology clinics and cancer centers offer multidisciplinary care to help mesothelioma patients address the many challenges of cancer. For instance, your treatment team might already include a psychologist who can help provide counseling for emotional issues, or a social worker who can help you and your family plan financially for treatment, or deal with issues such as transportation or child care.

If these resources aren’t available, or if you are unsure where to start, ask your oncology nurse, who is trained to be attuned not just to medical needs but other needs as well. If needed resources aren’t available as part of your treatment team, the nurse can help you secure referrals for assistance.

To get started, it may be helpful to take inventory of the issues that are causing you stress. This will help your care team address the problems efficiently.

Sources of Stress

Below is a checklist you can use to help sort out the types of extra help you need to cope with your mesothelioma. Your treatment team might already be working with you to address some of these issues. But if an issue is unaddressed, or is not fully addressed, by your treatment team, make note of it here.

EVERYDAY LIFE

  • Child care/elder care
  • Grocery shopping/errands
  • Housekeeping
  • Lawn care
  • Pet care
  • Car repairs
  • Home repairs/remodeling to accommodate disability
  • Household finances
  • Other (specify): ______________

CANCER- OR TREATMENT-RELATED

  • Mental health concerns, including depression or hopelessness, and fear or anxiety
  • Difficulty breathing/chest tightness
  • Difficulty with mobility or functioning at home or work
  • Other physical side effects, including:
      • fatigue
      • pain
      • mouth sores or other oral problems
      • hot flashes or “the sweats”
      • constipation/diarrhea
      • Other (specify): ____________
  • Dietary concerns, including:
      • problems tasting or enjoying food
      • problems “keeping food down”
      • weight loss
      • weight gain
  • Appearance issues, including hair loss or skin changes
  • Difficulty understanding overall treatment plan or specific treatments
  • Inability to get transportation to treatments
  • Job concerns related to diagnosis and/or treatment
  • Other (specify): ______________

CONCERNS ABOUT THE FUTURE

OTHER RELATED ISSUES

  • Stress management
  • Relationships with family/friends
  • Persistent concerns about “Why me?” “Why, God?”; search for meaning; or other spiritual issues
  • Other (specify): ______________

Finding Assistance

In addition to assistance or referrals provided by your mesothelioma care team, your own personal network can be instrumental in alleviating stress during this time. Typically family members and friends stand ready to help but aren’t exactly sure what to say or do.

You can tap this network informally by contacting people who have offered their help and giving them specific tasks—for instance, to provide a family dinner every Thursday; to join a group of friends to clean the house every two weeks; to take your car to the repair shop or transport you to a treatment while your spouse has to work. Often it helps to designate one close relative or friend to coordinate volunteers and tasks.

While your medical team will address many cancer- or treatment-related concerns, others may require additional specialized support—for instance, complementary and alternative therapies such as massage or acupuncture might be helpful for a problem like pain. In addition, a pulmonary therapist might be required to assist with breathing troubles. A nutritional counselor who specializes in cancer care can offer ideas and tips to help make eating easier and to ensure a healthy diet. Physical, occupational or speech therapists can help with specific disabilities that arise from cancer or treatment. And many cancer treatment centers have aides called patient navigators, who are specially trained in helping patients understand their illness and find their way through the treatment system.

Members of patient and caregiver support groups—both online and in-person—can be important sources of referrals for any help you might need. And specialists including financial planners, attorneys, and clergy members or lay counselors can provide needed services.

Mesothelioma patients and their caregivers, consumed by the physical battle against cancer, should never underestimate the importance of peace of mind, and recognize that moments of calm and happiness help people endure harder times.

Home » Mesothelioma Medical Information » Coping with Mesothelioma Cancer » Seeking Help