Understanding Lymphoma
Coping with Lymphoma
Each person’s experience with cancer is different, and coping with the physical and emotional impact of having lymphoma is unique to a patient’s personality and situation. Below are suggestions for how to cope with some issues that patients may face:
Maintaining a strong support system
- Communicate your fears and concerns with your family, friends, doctors and counselors
- Writing down concerns in a journal
- Find a support group or other individuals who are also coping with cancer
- Join the Foundation’s Lymphoma Support Network (LSN), our peer support program
Seeking help for depression and/or anxiety
- Feeling sad or depressed is not unusual for people living with cancer
- Watch out for signs of depression: sleeping more or less than usual; feeling a lack of energy; crying; inability to concentrate
- Ask for a referral to a psychiatrist, social worker, psychologist, or counselor who will help through talk therapy, medications, or both
- Find a support group of people who have had similar experiences
Dealing with physical changes
- Some patients with cancer feel unattractive because of hair loss and other changes in appearance caused by their treatment
- Ask the doctor what changes should be expected; plan ahead and buy a wig or head covering if hair loss is a possibility
- Get advice from a beautician about makeup for the areas considered a problem
- Ask the healthcare team for advice on how to manage temporary changes such as skin, brittle nails, and blotchy complexion
Financial Considerations
Many patients today face the problem of how to pay for rising healthcare costs. Cancer organizations like the Lymphoma Research Foundation offer limited financial assistance to patients who qualify.
Exercise and Nutrition
Living a healthy lifestyle–including eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, exercising, not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, etc.–can reduce a survivor’s risk of developing late health effects from treatment.