When a Child is Diagnosed with Cancer: How Life Changes (continued)

A child’s school routine will be disrupted by a diagnosis of cancer and the necessary treatment. Whether a child is tutored at home, or absent from school for treatment periods, it is important for parents to maintain contact with teachers and classmates. It can be emotionally important for a child to understand that he or she will be returning to school, and that education is still important. Family routines around school, work, and recreational activities may need to change to accommodate the child’s treatment schedule. Families often need to identify and engage others to help maintain academic and after-school activities.

Relationships with friends may change shortly after cancer diagnosis. Surprisingly, people least expected to help may make themselves available in whatever ways are needed. Alternatively, some people who would be expected to help may distance themselves. Some simply do not know what to do or say, and may withdraw because of their own discomfort.

Children and their families can experience a sense of loss of what they "expected out of life" before the child had cancer. Psychosocial team members can help children and family members express and deal with these feelings by identifying and encouraging the use of their personal strengths in coping with the illness, while offering new alternatives to supplement existing coping skills.

After learning to live with a child who has cancer, some parents come to feel that they have learned a tremendous amount about life and that their families are emotionally much closer than before the diagnosis. They no longer take things for granted and they often see a value in living every day. In the beginning however, the priority is to "get through" each day and to do what has to be done on the road as they care for their child.