Recognizing the need:
The diagnosis of cancer is a traumatic event for individuals and is usually the first time they realize their mortality. They are scared, out of control and need help. One of the first sources from whom they might seek help is the clergy. Because the diagnosis of cancer is not a death sentence, this is an opportunity for the clergy Continue Reading…
The manner in which a physician discloses to a patient the diagnosis of cancer can, in and of itself, determine whether the patient will die or survive. The physician can instill hope and the desire to try to fight and be part of a winning team or can cause the patient to want to do nothing and wait for the inevitable end. A telephone call by a nurse or even the doctor stating, “You have cancer” can be totally devastating. The patient Continue Reading…
The trauma of being diagnosed with cancer is enormous. All of us who have been there know it. The questions that race through our minds, even while the physician is still trying to explain the situation, are unending. Will I die? Will I be an invalid? Will I have terrible pain? What do I tell my family? What do I tell my friends? How will I handle my work? Will I have to endure Continue Reading…