Advice: Mother of a child that just got diagnosed with cancer need advice on how to raise a child with cancer?

She's 15 and they diagnosed her with a very bad form of liver cancer and said the odds do not look good if they do not start aggressive treatment. Tomorrow they are shipping us out to a children hospital 3 hours away, Her dad is a cournal in the air force and is flying back right away in two days. He it torn to pieces as well as I am too. I need advice on how to act around my daughter with cancer and help her not be so scared but it's hard because I am terrified. She is very popular and social and always is out and I don't know how she will handle being in the hospiital because they said she will be in there for awhile. So how do I help her out and tell her this is best for her and that she is going to be ok. I'm so upset. I need advice on how to raise a teenager with cancer.Advice: Mother of a child that just got diagnosed with cancer need advice on how to raise a child with cancer?
I have to ask this. Is her cancer localized only in the liver? Can she get a transplant? Most important, I am so very sorry to hear about this. How is your daughter taking all this. That's what will help. If she wants to continue to do things, support her. Explain to her about her hospital stay. Tell her what they will do for her. Don't treat her any differently now than you did before. I know, things are not the same, but if you start acting different toward her than you did before she was diagnosed, she's going to start thinking about her mortality. Pray with her, Pray when she's not around too. Prayer is your most important tool right now. Make sure her freinds visit her in the hospital and even bring her homework too. She knows something is wrong, but you don't want to make it worse by crying in front of her or acting very sorrowful. This will make her feel worse. Let her wear her own PJs in the hospital instead of the old gowns they have. Make that hospital room look like her own room as much as possible. Don't tell her she's going to be OK when you don't know that for sure. Tell her the Drs are doing all they can to help her. When you tell her she's going to be OK and things get worse, (God forbid) she won't trust anything you say after that. You can't make promises that you can't keep. Be honest with her. Read the Bible to learn about Jesus saving grace. I don't know what your religious background is but prayer never hurts. The bottom line is, be there for her, be the mom you've always been, Bring her favorite dish to eat while in the hospital. Let her do whatever activities she's used to doing. Just be the mom she knows and loves. I pray for her health and recovery. God bless all of you.Advice: Mother of a child that just got diagnosed with cancer need advice on how to raise a child with cancer?
Make arrangements for her to take this in a sportive way in hospital


-You know that you can write E mail messages to me through this section by clicking the word e mail which is visible if you click my name here to open my profile
I am so sorry about this. I will say a special prayer for you all.


I was sick as a child, and I had to stay in the hospital. I remember my parents visited me whenever they could. And they always bought me a little something, like cool slippers, or a cool little shirt to wear.


They showered me with love, and let me know that they will always be there for me, and told me to pray at night.


Now I am an adult (thanks to God) and I am rarely ever sick.


Just keep your head up, pray, show her alot of love, and prepare for the worse but remain as positive as you can.


may God bless you!!
I was diagnosed with cancer when I was 27... also very aggressive and a rare type. It is considered upper digestive cancer (called GIST-gastrointestinal stromal tumor) but it metastasized (spread) to my liver. At first the cancer that went to my liver was just two little spots, the size of a pea. But now, i have many and the biggest one is about the size of a small orange. I was diagnosed 5 years ago and I always have some kind of pain or tiredness issue and sometimes i get really sick, but most of the time i feel well enough to get up and take care of myself, go outside in the sun and take a walk... things like that. I have a ten year old son to take care of, who is healthy. I do wonder sometimes if I will live long enough to see him grow up. But there are new therapies coming out all the time. I have been on 4 different kinds of chemotherapy. One that was actually approved by the FDA almost caused me to lose my life. The side effects were devestating to my body. The doctors had a hard time bringing my heart rate back. The drug was called: Nexavar. But I have heard of many people who had little side effects on that drug and was effective in treating the cancer. My body just didn't like it. I'm on an untested drug right now because they ran out of options for me, except for these ';investigational studies'; so that is what i'm doing. The ';study'; drug has not been harsh to my body and so far has been effective. Anyway...... your daughter just needs your love and support right now. Just be there for her, no matter what, as a parent should do. Personally, I found that a vegan diet is effective for me, but when a person has cancer, one must also be sensitive to how the individual is feeling. Nausea is sometimes a problem, especially when treatment begins, so she might want something different to eat than you are eating, or she may not want to eat at that particular time. Ask your daughter what she may like concerning all parts of life: emotionally, physically, spiritually and try to help her fulfill those needs. This should be done, no matter what, but it is especially important when you get a cancer diagnosis. She may feel helpless or scared. Be open and invite her to talk to you about her feelings. If she feels more comfortable talking to others, maybe of her same age about this, you can talk to her oncologist about a support group with people in it who are dealing with the same thing... or perhaps she'd like to talk to a counselor. Whatever the case, I hope that you all find what works for your family and that everything works out fine.
Hi, i'm sorry about your daughter. i'm 15 as well, and i have cancer, a rare form of leukemia called CML. I've always been really social and stuff, and i now need to spend a lot of time in the hospital also. Once i was in for 7 months almost straight (2 week break inbetween). What always helps me is having lots of stuff from home at the hospital, and talking to my friends online, and when they can it's great when people visit, because it makes everything better. You, and her, need to stay really positive, because that helps a lot. Good luck!