Hi All,
I read this from a book the other day & found its meaningful to share this with all of you in the forum.
As we are all in the same boat, i guess we could understand each others' feelings better & provide support for each other.
Hope the following is useful, especially to the ones who just got diagnosed ( remember, you are not going to be alone )!
How to Survive a Brain Tumor
1: Know your enemy. The more you know about your enemy's strengths & weaknesses, the better you can fight it.
2: Know your strengths. Keep Healthy & fit.
3: Know your weaknesses. If there's something you can improve, do it. If you cant change it, accept it & move on.
4: Know your allies. If you think your doctor is not 100% dedicated to the battle, find another better one.
5: Know your weapons. Some treatments for brain tumors sounds pretty scary, but if they work against the enemy, thats what you need.
6: Maintain your arsenal. Dont run out of medications you need. Do not let your insurance lapse. If it does, look for as many different funding resources you can.
7: Find some comrades in arms. No one else really knows what its like to be in trenches, & some of your best friends could be made on battlefield.
8: Take time for rest & relaxation. You need it to keep fighting.
9: Remember that an army moves on its stomach. If you do not get adequate nutrition, you'll be defeated.
10: Look to experienced leaders in your treatment team for guidance. Work on your common objective.
11: Check your position from time to time. Those follow up appointments, labs, MRIs, keep the enemy under scrutiny.
12: Anticipate occasional setbacks. Keep mentally prepared to engage more vigorously with the enemy if necessary.
13: Do not ignore warnings from your body. Loss of hearing, dizziness, imbalance, facial numbness all require doctor's attention.
14: Scout for locations of refuge if you ever need one. Hospitals that are ill equipped to deal with your enemy arent good places to be.
15: Keep the folks back home well informed about how you are doing.
16: Be patient with others who do not know the enemy as well as you do.
17: Kiss your sweetheart as often as possible and always with the thought that it could be the last.
18: Pray for your comrades, your family & yourself. Pray for yourself to have courage & act like as if prayer has been answered.
19: Remember that the enemy can take your life, but not your spirit, Spread your spirit around to so many people & places that the enemy can never destroy it.
Good Luck to all!
Be brave!
Rgds,
Shanne
