What are the most important tips that you need to know about dealing with paediatric cancers?
Receiving the diagnosis of cancer in kids is one of the most devastating moments in the family which anyone can experience. Paediatric cancers will not only be affecting the physical health of the children but also will be deeply impacting the emotional well-being of the parents, siblings and extended family members. No doubt the advancement of technology in the field of paediatric oncology has been significantly successful in improving the survival rate and treatment outcomes, but still, risk factors associated with paediatric cancer are consistently high, and the journey through diagnosis, treatment and recovery is never easy. So, the following are the important points that you need to take very seriously with the help of consultation of paediatric haematologist oncologist near me so that things are quite sorted out for the parents.
- Remaining informed and asking questions to the professionals: Knowledge is power whenever it comes to the world of dealing with paediatric cancer, and understanding the specific type of cancer, treatment options, side-effects, and prognosis of your kids will always allow you to make highly informed decisions. Getting in touch with the haematologist and oncologist, along with other medical team professionals, for your detailed answers on questions is important and writing the queries before your appointment is highly recommended so that you can get the best possible clarification. It is recommended for you to never hesitate about asking any questions to the professionals because, depending on the reliable sources of the industry is highly recommended in addition to the basic consultation. In this way, you will be able to enjoy the accurate and parent-friendly pieces of information so that there is no chance of unnecessary stress or confusion at any point in time.
- It is important to build the strong medical team: Choosing the paediatric oncologist and treatment centre that is experienced with the specific type of cancer of your child is having, is very much important because the hospitals that come with paediatric cancer units will be having the multidisciplinary teams including the oncologist, surgeon, psychologist and the nutrition professionals with social workers. Such experience-based approaches will always allow you to provide the kids with holistic care and address physical as well as emotional needs without any problem. Additionally, maintaining open communication with the medical team, regular updates and transparent conversations will be very important so that everyone will eventually enjoy mutual trust in the creation of this supportive environment through the treatment.
- You should focus on supporting the emotional well-being: By getting in touch with the haematology oncology specialists, every concerned parent will be able to make sure that the overall emotional well-being will be perfectly supported because the confusion and anxiety in this case will be quite sorted out. Using the age-appropriate language to explain the diagnosis and treatment process to your kids will be very important, and further, you should encourage the children to express their feelings very openly without any fear of judgment. Many hospitals will be offering childcare specialists, counsellors and art therapists who will be helping out the kids to cope through play, storytelling and creative expression, which will further provide you with the best possible element of relief.
- Taking care of yourself as a caregiver: It will be very natural for the parents to put the needs of the children very much ahead, but the caregivers must also focus on establishing priority for their own mental and physical health. At the time of establishing the care factor for a child with cancer, the entire procedure will be emotionally draining as well as physically exhausting, which is the main reason that fatigue, anxiety and depression are very common among the parents. Accepting the help from friends and family will be very important throughout the process, and joining the caregiver support groups, practising the stress management techniques like meditation and taking breaks whenever required will be important so that you can always remain better equipped to care for a sick child very successfully.
- It is important to create a supportive environment at home: Home should be a place where the children can safely discuss things, and it should be a comforting place for your child. After many hours in hospitals and treatment centres, creating the familiar surroundings and loving environment will be very important because this is the only thing that will provide you with relief. It is highly recommended for people to try to maintain the normal routines up to the best possible levels, for example, during family meals, reading time and game nights. Allowing your child to get included in the family plans and using the age-appropriate responsibilities for them will be highly important so that they can equally participate in the daily decisions of the family. This will provide them with a sense of control, and they will feel much more motivated because this is very important when life is uncertain for them.
- Coordinating with the teachers and school authorities: Education is a very important part of the life of the child, and keeping the school in the loop in such cases will always be successful in bringing a sense of normalcy for the kids. Talking to the school authorities about the condition and treatment schedule of the kids will be very important because many children will be receiving the benefits from the modified school plans in the form of tutoring, online classes and home instruction plans. Whenever the classmates and teachers are informed in advance, they will always be successful in providing your kids with a sensitive and respectful manner of working, so that there will be no scope for any kind of misunderstanding at any step. Eventually, it will be helpful in creating an environment of encouragement of peer group support very successfully.
In addition to the points mentioned above, the family member should also consistently get in touch with the orthopaedics near me in addition to the other doctors so that nutrition and physical activity will be simultaneously focused because the light physical activity as approved by the orthopaedics and medical team will be helpful in promoting the energy levels, mood and physical strength. Hence, dealing with paediatric cancer is one of the challenging experiences with any family can face, but you are not alone in this. With the right support, emotional care and community resources, everybody will be able to navigate the journey with strength and resilience, and the children in such cases will not only survive but also will be thriving during and after the cancer treatment very successfully.