SLIDE SHOW FORSLIDE SHOW FOR RADIATION THERAPY DEPT RADIATION THERAPY DEPT JOHANNESBURG HOSPITAL.JOHANNESBURG HOSPITAL.

DR. RUTH BENJAMIN

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST

5

It is always a shock to be told one has cancer. Even when you are looking calm and natural To everyone, your mind is often in turmoil.

Or else you might just feel so shocked that you can’t feel anything at all. But there is the Fear and uncertainty within.

Often the first reaction is a Often the first reaction is a

very real fear of deathvery real fear of death

.

It is as if we go into the garden and Pick a beautiful red rose and put itInto a vase.Is that rose now dead or alive?That is how we often feel when we hear the word CANCER.We are alive, and yet we feel torn from our friends and from our roots.We feel, not dead, but not quiteAlive.

Coming for treatment is often a relief Coming for treatment is often a relief in many ways, because you are doing something about in many ways, because you are doing something about it. You are somehow taking back control of your life.it. You are somehow taking back control of your life.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO IT IS IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW WHAT THE FOLLOW WHAT THE

DOCTORS SAYDOCTORS SAY AND TO FOLLOW

IT EXACTLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE MADE THE PROGRAM ESPECIALLY FOR YOU, PERSONALLY.

DON’T LET ANYONEDON’T LET ANYONE

TELL YOU THAT YOUR TREATMENT IS NOT IMPORTANT AND YOU SHOULD TRY SOMETHING ELSE. THEY MIGHT EVEN TRY TO TELL YOU THEY ARE EXPERTS AND KNOW MORE THAN THE DOCTORS. DON’T LISTEN TO THEM..

IF YOUR DOCTOR SAYSIF YOUR DOCTOR SAYS

YOU SHOULD COME TO THE CLINIC AT A CERTAIN TIME, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO COME ON THIS DAY BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN WORKED OUT JUST FOR YOU

IF YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN’T IF YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN’T COME FOR YOUR APPOINTMENTCOME FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT

PLEASE TELL THE SISTERS OR A MEMBER OF STAFF SO THAT THEY CAN TRY TO WORK SOMETHING OUT FOR YOU

INFORM YOUR DOCTOR OR NURSE IF THERE IS A CHANGE IN YOUR CONDITION OR IF PROBLEMS ARISE DURING YOUR TREATMENT

If you cannot understand what If you cannot understand what the doctor has told youthe doctor has told you

Or you have medicines and you are not quite sure how to take them.

Speak to a member of staff or a member of the team. Speak to them until you understand.

IF YOU STILL DON’T IF YOU STILL DON’T UNDERSTANDUNDERSTAND

ASK AGAIN ASK UNTIL YOU

UNDERSTAND NO ONE WILLTHINK

YOU ARE BEING DUMB TO DO THIS.

THEY WILL KNOW YOU ARE CLEVER TO DO THIS

DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS HAVE PUT MANY DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS HAVE PUT MANY YEARS OF VERY DIFFICULT WORK IN FINDING YEARS OF VERY DIFFICULT WORK IN FINDING

OUT HOW TO TREAT YOUR CANCEROUT HOW TO TREAT YOUR CANCER

YOUR DOCTORS AND MEDICAL STAFF HAVE BEEN TRAINING FOR MANY MANY YEARS TO BE ABLE TO HELP YOU .

WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOUNEED

IT IS UP TO YOU TO WORK IT IS UP TO YOU TO WORK WITH YOUR MEDICAL TEAMWITH YOUR MEDICAL TEAM..

WE ARE TRYING, HERE, TO WE ARE TRYING, HERE, TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN

TO HELP YOUTO HELP YOU

It is up to you to cooperate with treatment

And to gain the most out of it.

You can take a thirsty horse or donkey or cow to water…

But you can’t make him drink. Even though he needs it.

We are giving you treatment. It is up to you to take it and take it on time.

BUT I HAVE HEARD SUCH TERRIBLE THINGSBUT I HAVE HEARD SUCH TERRIBLE THINGSABOUT TREATMENT! I AM REALLY FRIGHTENED!ABOUT TREATMENT! I AM REALLY FRIGHTENED!

YES THE MACHINES MAY LOOK FRIGHTENING, BUT THEY ARE POWERFUL AND STRONG AND EFFECTIVE AND THAT IS THE KIND OF MACHINE WE NEED IN FGHTING CANCER

You may be afraid you will loseYou may be afraid you will loseyour job and you are too scaredyour job and you are too scared

To tell your employer you need time off , and too scared to tell your doctor that you are unable to keep your appointment.

It is very important you tell them both !

SPEAK TO YOUR BOSSSPEAK TO YOUR BOSS

SHOW HIM YOUR PROGRAM OF

TREATMENT SO THAT HE KNOWS HOW SERIOUS IT IS.

MOST BOSSES WILL BE UNDERSTANDING

SOMETIMES A PERSON MIGHT BE SOMETIMES A PERSON MIGHT BE TOO DEPRESSED TO TAKE HIS OR TOO DEPRESSED TO TAKE HIS OR

HER TREATMENTHER TREATMENT It is important to tell

your doctor so that your depression can be treated

A person might be too anxious to be A person might be too anxious to be able to come for treatment regularlyable to come for treatment regularly

Again a person should speak to the doctor to be able to treat the anxiety.

SOMETIMES, WHEN A PATIENT DOES NOT LISTENSOMETIMES, WHEN A PATIENT DOES NOT LISTEN TO THE DOCTOR OR COME FOR TREATENT THEY CANNOT TO THE DOCTOR OR COME FOR TREATENT THEY CANNOT IMPROVE IN THE WAY THEY COULD IF THEY COOPERATED IMPROVE IN THE WAY THEY COULD IF THEY COOPERATED

COMPLETELYCOMPLETELY..

THE MEDICAL STAFF HAVE PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER TO MAKE A PROGRAM OF TREATMENT JUST FOR YOU.

IT IS UP TO YOU TO ACCEPT IT AND WORK WITH IT.

How can a person begin to cope How can a person begin to cope with cancer?with cancer?

It is important to take that rose out of the vase and plant it back with all the other roses, alive and in the earth. We must remain part of life and realize that cancer is not necessarily a death sentence.There are millions of people all over the world who have survived cancer and lived for many years.

TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIMETAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME

Every day is a new day.

Stay focused on the tasks for one day at a time

Don’t focus on the challenges or worries that lie ahead but rather on today.

KEEP A RECORD. WRITE DOWN YOUR KEEP A RECORD. WRITE DOWN YOUR APPOINTMENTS AND THE DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENTS AND THE DOCTOR’S

INSTRUCTIONS AND ALL THE IMPORTANT THINGS INSTRUCTIONS AND ALL THE IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO REMEMBER!YOU NEED TO REMEMBER!

EAT PROPERLY. DON’T FORGET YOURSELF EAT PROPERLY. DON’T FORGET YOURSELF

WHEN YOU ARE COOKINGWHEN YOU ARE COOKING. . EAT SIMPLE, HEALTHY FOODS.EAT SIMPLE, HEALTHY FOODS.

EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE FAMILY TO FEED AND LOOK AFTER AT HOME, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF AS WELL . THAT WILL BE MORE HELPFUL TO THEM.

EXERCISE ISGOOD

SLEEP IS IMPORTANTSLEEP IS IMPORTANT

BE CAREFUL OF YOUR SLEEP AND TRY TO SLEEP ENOUGH.

IF YOU ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY EITHER FALLING OR STAYING ASLEEP, TELL YOUR DOCTOR.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO TELL YOUR FAMILY YOU NEED TO SLEEP.

A POSITIVE ATTITUDE IS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE IS GOODGOOD

YOU CAN SEE THIS GLASS IN A NEGATIVE WAY THAT IT IS HALF EMPTY,

OR IN A POSITIVE WAY, THAT IT IS HALF FULL.

It is good to keep a positive attitude but It is good to keep a positive attitude but

there are many ups and downsthere are many ups and downs.. Sometimes you may feel

tearful and anxious and scared.

That is normal and feeling this way does not make your cancer worse.

.

You don’t have to be 100% positive

ALL the time and don’t listen to people who tell you that you must

IT IS IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH IT IS IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILYFRIENDS AND FAMILY

HOW DOES A PERSON COPE AT HOME? HOW DOES A PERSON COPE AT HOME? IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE IT WITH FAMILY AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE IT WITH FAMILY AND

FRIENDS. FRIENDS.

THEY ARE AWARE OF ANYWAY, AND IT IS SOMETHING SO BIG IT HELPS FOR EVERYONE TO TALK ABOUT IT. EVERYONE FEELS WORSE IF THEY JUST PRETEND IT IS NOT THERE.

Not talking about it is as if there is an elephant in the room and no one is talking about it.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE FRIEND OR AT LEAST ONE FRIEND OR MEMBER OF THE FAMILYMEMBER OF THE FAMILY

WHO ONE CAN REALLY SPEAK TO TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THESE THINGS.

CONNECT WITH THE CONNECT WITH THE SPIRITUAL.SPIRITUAL.

MAKE MORE CONTACT WITH A HIGHER POWER WHO CAN PUT MEANING INTO THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS HERE.

READ BOOKS THAT INSPIRE YOU.

EVERYONE NEEDS RELAXATION. NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE. YOU HAVE TO TAKE TIME TO RELAX. AND TO BE YOURSELF.

VALUE YOURSELF AND VALUE YOURSELF AND VALUE YOUR HEALTHVALUE YOUR HEALTH

IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO THINGS TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF; TO DO THINGS YOU ENJOY AND MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD, AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF.

YOU MUST ALWAYS HAVE ‘GETTING BETTER’ AS TOP OF YOUR LIST

SPEND TIME ON YOURSELF.

YOU DESERVE IT