It's estimated that nearly 25,400 malignant brain tumors are diagnosed each year. Any type of tumor can be scary. However, a brain stem tumor can be a particularly disturbing prognosis.
Since it's affecting your primary nervous system, there will be physical symptoms that affect the way you live your life. And it's not just physical symptoms; there will also be emotional, cognitive, and personality changes. And that's not even counting the cost of care.
To get to the other side of your brain stem tumor prognosis, you will need to learn coping methods for each of these areas. In this guide, we'll go over some of these methods so you'll have the necessary strategies to fight the biggest battle of your life.
What Should You Do After Your Brain Stem Tumor Prognosis?
Following your brain stem tumor prognosis, you will likely be in a state of shock, so it is important to know what to expect.
One of the first things you should do in this situation is get a second opinion. When it comes to brain stem tumors, there's no time for 'what ifs', By getting a second opinion, you can confirm the diagnosis with another professional.
More importantly, you can make more informed decisions about any relevant treatment options.
From there, you need to start making decisions about these treatments and insurance providers. This can be an incredibly stressful process, so make sure you're patient with yourself.
How to Cope With the Physical Symptoms
There are a lot of physical symptoms that can accompany a brain tumor. Some of the common ones include things like:
- Persistent headaches
- Loss of balance
- Weakness in the limbs
- Loss of vision
- Seizures
- Delayed growth
Many of these physical symptoms can drastically affect your quality of life. That's why it's vital to cope with it by keeping your healthcare team updated.
Whenever a new symptom shows or one worsens, you should make an appointment with your provider. They can provide you with medications that can relieve or manage your physical pain symptoms.
Just make sure you aren't coping with your physical symptoms by abusing drugs or alcohol. While this might numb you, it will ultimately not be helpful. Plus, it can make your condition much worse.
How to Cope With the Emotional Symptoms
Even if your brain stem tumor isn't directly causing emotional problems, you will still go through a wide range of emotions. Sadness, fear, stress, anxiety, and anger are some of the common ones people experience.
Scheduling time with a counselor can be a good way to work your way through some of these emotions. You should also consider mindfulness and meditation techniques.
These can help get your mind off of the brain stem tumor and back to the present. If you're feeling significantly depressed, you should also consider medication.
How to Cope With Cognitive and Personality Change
As this study shows, brain tumors are also linked to a variety of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. Depending on the location and extent of the brain stem tumor, you might find it harder to think clearly.
You may find it difficult to regulate your emotions. It's common for people to experience intense mood swings. Feeling like you're losing who you were can be a scary feeling.
While it might be difficult to cope with these changes on your own, there are people you can reach out to. First, reach out to your doctor. There are likely some medications you can try that will alleviate some of your mood swings.
Counseling can also be helpful. This is especially true if you've noticed feelings of anger or rage. Anger management therapy can teach you techniques for adapting to it.
Lastly, consider learning some cognitive compensation techniques. These techniques will help you gain skills to compensate for the ones you lost.
How to Cope With the Cost of Care
Brain cancer care is extremely expensive. Even families that are financially comfortable with good health insurance might struggle to pay for it. As such, if you don't have healthcare insurance or your family is in debt, you might be stressing about how you will afford the cost of care.
The first step to coping with this stress is to sign up for health insurance. If you're over the age of sixty-five, you can enroll in Medicare. Or, if you have a low income/disability you can try Medicaid.
Don't be afraid to reach out to your healthcare team and explain your financial concerns.
Ask them if there's anything they can suggest that would lower the price. You can also turn to support organizations for help, like cancer nonprofits in Connecticut.
The Importance of a Support Network
Finding a support network when you have a brain stem tumor is essential. Dealing with this condition can be incredibly emotional and stressful. As such, having friends and family that you can lean on and vent to is invaluable.
Unfortunately, not everyone has access to friends or family. In these cases, we recommend scheduling time with a therapist. That way, you can manage some of the stress you're dealing with.
Your support network can also include caregivers. We also highly recommend that you go to a cancer support group. While your loved ones might be able to imagine how you feel, they'll never know what you're going through.
These types of support groups can be a great place to meet cancer patients and cancer survivors who know exactly what you're feeling.
Remember that a good support network will drastically increase your quality of life with a brain stem tumor.
Need Support? Reach Out to CT Brain Tumor Alliance, Inc
We hope this guide helped you learn more about coping with a brain stem tumor prognosis. In the last section, we mentioned the importance of building a support network.
Sadly, if your support network is only made up of family and friends, it can sometimes feel like they don't know what you're going through. If you feel this way, we encourage you to reach out to the CT Brain Tumor Alliance.
We're a group of professionals who know firsthand what brain tumors are like. So if you're ready for the comfort you need, reach out to us today.
Disclaimer
All content and information on this website is for informational and educational purposes only and nothing herein shall be construed as medical advice. Always consult your medical provider for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any medical decisions.