The Road Ahead
"Don't get me wrong, I'm so
glad that treatment is over.
Seeing my stepdad so sick
was hard to take. But now
that he's back home, well,
bedtime is back to 10:00,
no more late night TV,
I have to say where I'll be
and when I'll be home...
basically, we're back to the
old rules."
- Monica, age 17
It can be hard to stay calm when you aren't sure what the future
holds. You may be thinking - will my parent survive cancer?
Will the cancer come back? Will life ever be the same?
Will I laugh again?
While no one can know the future, there are things you can do to
make your life a little more stable:
Keep talking and pulling together as a family. You may
find that cancer has drawn you closer together and made you
appreciate each other more than ever.
Discover your own needs. Don't let others tell you how you
should feel. Allow
yourself to cope at your
own pace and in your
own way.
Remember that
you're growing as
a person. Many
teens say that having
a parent with cancer
has made them more
sympathetic, more
responsible, and
stronger.
Accept people's help. Right now you may feel lonelier than
you ever have in your life. But you are not alone. Family, friends,
support groups, neighbors, and counselors are there to lend a
helping hand, listen to you, and be there for you.
Appreciate each day. Many teens who have a parent with
cancer say that they learned to see the world more clearly. In time
you may come to appreciate things you may have overlooked in
the past.
Maybe you have noticed that little things seem to have more
meaning for you these days. Take some time to write these
thoughts down, even if they seem small:
Unfortunately, no booklet or person can tell you how everything
is going to work out. Cancer is tough, and your life may never
be quite the same. But in the end, you will get through it.
Why? You're strong. And you are capable - even if you don't
always feel that way. |
< Previous Section | Next Section > |