Ever wonder what you can do for a person with a brain tumor? Here are a few suggestions.
Pray
Hands down the best form of support; nothing else even comes close. If you are only going to do one thing, then it has to be to pray, so get a free prayer pager from www.prayerpager.com and if you are a doubting Thomas about prayer, then check out the profound positive impact that persistent prayer can make. Be sure to inform the prayer chains at your church and workplace.
Be an Advocate
One major source of support is to be an advocate to the extent needed. Example: if a doctor states no one survives a gbm and offers little hope, respectfully vocalize your objections to poor bedside manners, and then find another doctor. I had an emotional meltdown following a conversation with an oncologist, and my wife Kathy encouraged me to jettison the unhelpful doctor, which we did, making a world of difference and creating a lesson learned artifact.
I'm happy to speak to your loved one. Please ask him or her to send me an email with a phone number to begin a dialog.
Stories of Hope and Courage
Consider these recommended books, both for the supporter and the supportee. Keep your chin up. A smile is universal and contagious. Hang around people who see the glass as half full, not half empty. Ensure that your brain tumor person understands that there are long term survivors. I wrote a book entitled An Unremarkable Man to provide hope and encouragement to those with a brain tumor. My book is available on amazon.com, bn.com and borders.com. All net proceeds are donated to brain tumor foundations.
Reminiscing
One thing that I enjoyed in the days and weeks following the surgery and initial treatments (and still do to this day) is watching classic television sitcoms from the 1960s and 1970s. Programs like The Wild, Wild West and Green Acres and of course Hogan’s Heroes and without a doubt The Beverly Hillbillies and even The Munsters and of course Gomer Pyle. Just good, clean cleverly written TV shows, produced when America was in a more morally innocent era. Watching these shows brings back so many great memories of my childhood and I discovered that my five children also enjoy these programs to varying degrees as well.
Tag Team
Food is an awesome form of support! Keep the system running and strength is thereby given to wage war against the tumor. My family, for instance, gives a mixed review of BBQ. My wife, daughter and 3rd son do not care for this most delectable of foods, but their deficit is more than mitigated my other three boys who do savor BBQ as much as I do, so we celebrate each other at Dickey’s once per month just because… Form a team, each member providing encouragement and support that cannot be extended by one person alone. Other group support ideas include, house cleaning, laundry, repairs and errands.
Stay Active
Think of activities that the apple of your eye enjoys doing, and not necessarily present day things. Example: would the person fancy a ride in a classic muscle car? If so, make the necessary arrangements and do it. In fact if you live in the North Texas area, I’ll provide the ride myself, courtesy of my 1976 Trans Am. Please refer to this example to learn more. What about activities that might be deemed risky from your point of view? If deemed acceptable by the doctor, go water skiing, climb a mountain, participate in the Angel 5k walk.
Financial Support
Financial support is available through organizations such as the Legacy Brain Foundation and the Mission 4 Maureen Foundation. These organizations are waiting to hear from you now!
