Caring for Your Child
Being told that your child has cancer can be a terrifying and overwhelming experience, and treatment of neuroblastoma can take a tremendous toll on your child and family. At times, you might feel helpless.
But you play a vital role in your child's treatment. During this difficult time, it's important to learn as much as you can about neuroblastoma and its treatment. Being knowledgeable will help you make informed decisions and better help your child cope with the tests and treatments. Don't be afraid to ask the doctors questions.
Although you might feel like it at times, you're not alone. It might be helpful to find a support group for parents whose kids are coping with cancer (there are groups specifically for parents of children with neuroblastoma).
Parents often struggle with how much to tell a child who's diagnosed with cancer. While there's no one-size-fits-all answer, experts do agree that it's best to be honest — but to tailor the details to your child's degree of understanding and emotional maturity. Give as much information as your child needs, but not more.
And when explaining treatment, try to break it down into steps. Addressing each part as it comes — visiting various doctors, having a special machine take pictures of the body, needing an operation — can make the big picture less overwhelming. Be sure to explain to your child that the disease is not the result of anything that he or she did.
Also remember that it's common for siblings to feel neglected, jealous, and angry when a child is seriously ill. Explain as much as they can understand, and enlist family members, teachers, and friends to help keep some sense of normalcy for them.
And finally, as hard as it may be, try to take care of yourself. Parents who get the support they need are better able to support their children.