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SOURCES OF SUPPORT
Learning you have prostate
cancer can change your life and the lives of those close to you. These
changes can be hard to handle. It is normal for you, your family, and
your friends to have many different and sometimes confusing feelings.
You may worry about
caring for your family, keeping your job, or continuing daily
activities. Concerns about treatments and managing side effects,
hospital stays, and medical bills are also common. Doctors, nurses,
and other members of your health care team can answer questions about
treatment, working, or other activities. Meeting with a social worker,
counselor, or member of the clergy can be helpful if you want to talk
about your feelings or concerns. Often, a social worker can suggest
resources for financial aid, transportation, home care, or emotional
support.
Friends and relatives can be
supportive. Support groups also can help. In these groups, patients or
their family members meet with other patients or their families to
share what they have learned about coping with the disease and the
effects of treatment. Groups may offer support in person, over the
telephone, or online. You may want to talk with a member of your
health care team about finding a support group.
You and your partner may be
concerned about the effects of prostate cancer on your sexual
relationship. You may want to talk with your doctor about possible
treatment side effects and hether these are likely to last. Whatever
the outlook, you and your partner may find it helps to discuss your
concerns. You can find ways to be intimate during and after treatment.
For some couples, it helps to talk with a sex counselor.
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