Coping with myeloma

This page is about ways of coping with myeloma. There is information about

A quick guide to what's on this page
Coping with your diagnosis
How myeloma can affect you physically
Coping practically with myeloma
More information on coping with myeloma

Coping with myeloma

It can be very difficult coping with a diagnosis of cancer, both practically and emotionally. You are likely to feel very upset and confused. As well as coping with the fear and anxiety that a diagnosis of cancer brings, you have to work out how to manage practically. There may be money matters to sort out. Who do you tell that you have cancer? And how do you find the words? There may also be children to consider.

The coping with cancer section contains lots of information you may find helpful. There are sections about

Your feelings
Talking about your cancer
Talking to children
How you can help yourself
Who else can help you
Sick pay and benefits and coping financially

CR PDF Icon You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the living with myeloma section.

It can be very difficult coping with a diagnosis of myeloma, both practically and emotionally. At first, you are likely to feel very upset, frightened and confused. Or you may feel that things are out of your control. It is very important to get the right information about your myeloma and how it is best treated. People who are well informed about their illness and treatment are more able to make decisions and cope with what happens.

Myeloma and its treatment may cause physical changes in your body. These changes can be very difficult to cope with and may affect the way you feel about yourself. Such changes can affect your self esteem and the way you relate to other people, especially close family and friends.

Another problem you may have to cope with is feeling very tired and lethargic a lot of the time, especially during and for a while after treatment or if the myeloma is advanced. There is information about fatigue and cancer and treating cancer fatigue in the section about coping physically with cancer.

If you have had intensive treatment with high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, it can greatly affect your daily life for a while. You may need to build up activities slowly. There is information about recovering from intensive treatment on the next page in this section.

If you are having a sexual relationship, one or all of these changes may affect your sex life. There is information about how cancer can affect your sex life in the coping with cancer section.

As well as coping with the fear and anxiety that a diagnosis of cancer brings, you may also have to work out how to manage practically. There may be money matters to sort out. You may need information about financial support, such as benefits, sick pay and grants. Who do you tell that you have cancer? And how do you find the words? You may also have children to think about. Our coping with cancer section has information about talking about your cancer and how and what to tell children.

Just try to remember that you do not have to sort everything out at once. It may take some time to deal with each issue. Do ask for help if you need it though. Your doctor or specialist nurse will know who you can contact to get some help. And they can put you in touch with people specially trained in supporting those with cancer. These people are there to help and want you to feel that you have support. So use them if you feel you need to.

The coping with cancer section has lots of helpful information. There are sections about

Your feelings
How you can help yourself
Who else can help you?
Mortgages, pensions, loans and insurance, including travel insurance

If you would like more detailed information about coping with myeloma, contact the Cancer Research UK information nurses or one of the myeloma organisations. They will be happy to help. The organisations often have free factsheets and booklets they can send to you. They may also be able to put you in touch with a support group. There is also a myeloma reading list.

You can also find details of counselling organisations, that can tell you more about counselling and help you find sources of emotional support in your area.

If you want to find people to share experiences with on line, you could use CancerChat, our online forum. Or go through My Wavelength. This is a free service that aims to put people with similar medical conditions in touch with each other.