We have done "Cancer" and chemo...5 years ago. This time, I will be doing chemo for life. I want to be honest but be careful to not overly scare them. I want our life to remain the same and have them go on with their normal daily activities.
There is a book just published called "The Cancer That Wouldn't Go Away". It does not use any terminal terminology but keeps it basic. It might be a good read for your 13 yo and able you to open conversation with your 15 yo. I just purchased the book from Amazon for my 5 yo twins. It is a little bit more complicated for their age, but is perfect for my 11yo twin niece and nephew to understand. Hope it helps xoxo
Thank you for your response. It is important that they hold on to their faith and hope and know that it is possible to live with this for many years. We decided to stay away from "Stage IV" (for some reason, that sounds more scary) but to say it has returned but in different areas and is a tougher fight but livable. You are right...no need for them to be fearful every day.
Blessing to you and yours. I hope you don't mind if I add you to my team! Have a good day!
I'm stage IV and am struggling with the same thing. I have 3 teenage girls, 18, 15, and 13. I've only been diagnosed 10 months, but went from stage II to IV in 7 months. Nothing has gone my way. My kids know that the cancer has spread, and they know I'm going to need more treatments, but I haven't told them yet what the future holds. We are very faithful/prayerful family and I don't want to shake their faith. So I live each day trusting that God will show me what I need to share with them - which I know sounds naive, but at this point it's survival and trying to live as "normally" as possible. My husband grew up with doctors telling his brothers and sisters their mom would die in 6 months from lymphoma but she lived 26 years. I don't want my kids to live like that - always worried. I've got a great role model of someone who lived with cancer,and I intend to do that too. I do intend soon to offer them some counseling that's offered at a local cancer support center which specializes in family counseling for this very thing. Good luck with you children.
Chemo for life? R U serious? I never heard of that. I have stage 4 metastatic cancer, and my cancer numbers are way down, from 12000, to 1100. Geesh, i wonder if ill be doing it for life.. hmmmm prayin for ya gurl! xoxo