Dealing with Medical Uncertainty

9/22/2021

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DEALING WITH THE STRESS OF MEDICAL

UNCERTAINTY

Julie Larson, LCSW

“You have cancer.”

■ Information overload

■ Uncertainty about commitments to work

■ Emotional conversations with friends and family

■ Fear about the future

■ Questions about long-term impact of treatment

Julie Larson, LCSW - www.julielarsonlcsw.com

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Notable stressors for Waldenstrom’s survivors:■ Chronic aspect of diagnosis

■ Watch & Wait treatment plan

■ Immunocompromised status

■ Fatigue


The Reality Check

Take inventory of the stressors in your life.

Be honest and kind with yourself.

Bookmark the day and the intensity of how you feel.

Take responsibility for caring for yourself.


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That discomfort you’re feeling is griefDenial

“I don’t like to think what has changed about your life so I push ignore my limits, distract myself and push it out of my head””

Anger”This sucks and it isn’t fair! I feel annoyed and irritated when I see others who are healthy.”

Bargaining“When I get a good scan or if I stay on this diet I won’t feel this uncertainty again.”

Sadness“I feel sad and lost and worried I will never feel ok”

Acceptance“It is what it is. I feel upset at times and grateful for the people and experiences in my day to day that mean a lot to me."

Julie Larson, LCSW – www.julielarsonlcsw.com

Stress 101■ Stress is your body’s way of responding to a

demand.

■ Our body has a physical, emotional & mental response to stress.

■ There are different types of stress and not all stress is “bad”.

■ Stress is subjective. Personal.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA


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Develop a habit of checking in with yourself.

Can I name the feeling I am having?

Where am I feeling this stress in my body?

What am I doing that is helpful?

What am I doing that is not working well for me?


Self Care = Balance

Julie Larson, LCSW – www.julielarsonlcsw.com

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Increasing Self AwarenessHow do you first notice your stress?


Strategy #1: Connect with the Here and Now. (BODY)You are safe in this exact right now.■ Use your five senses.■ Break time into manageable chunks (wake

until lunch, this hour, until the end of a task)

■ Sort thoughts into Past, Present and Future.

■ Give yourself permission to delegate future oriented thoughts to your future self.


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The Unmet Needs Below the Surface


Making a Connection

MET UNMET

PleasantEmotions

UnpleasantEmotions


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Strategy #2:Anxiety = Unanswered Questions

■ Educating yourself about your diagnosis and treatment options

■ Creating lists of questions for your medical team

■ Getting to know ALL the members of your medical team

■ Breaking down survivorship into manageable time frame of focus

■ Connect with other survivors for coping tips, normalization and shared support


Strategy #3:Smooth Communication

■ Consider those in your support network. Who is the best audience for your need today?

■ Create (and rehearse!) simple responses for casual interactions

■ Have ”Conversation Changers” ready if you need to redirect.

■ Begin to pay attention to the topics that feel sensitive to you.

■ Talking about cancer can be complicated. Remember, important conversations are an ongoing dialogue, not a one shot deal.


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Strategy #4:Creating your All-Star Support Team■ Isolation is a risk factor for both anxiety and

depression.

■ Unmet needs lead to irritation, resentment, frustration, loneliness, fear

■ Are there specific roles or tasks others can have that are meaningful to both of you.

– Messenger, help with kids, researcher, help organizing insurance claims, treatment partner, walking buddy – OTHER (add to Chat)

■ Try not to ignore or minimize your distress. Your honest feelings are more helpful to everyone.


Strategy #5: Facing off with Worry

“Take inventory of your present. What you know for sure.

Are there other possible truths?

Create a concrete plan for your worst-case scenarios.

Turn the lights on in the rest of the room. What is available to you now?


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Strategy #6: Name It & Claim It. (Emotional)

■ Fear and worry many not completely go away.

■ Naming a feeling gives you a little distance from the feeling so you can respond (not react)

■ Building tolerance for uncomfortable feelings gives us flexibility with our attention.

■ Take the hit of a feeling, greet the “visitor”

■ Be realistic about your expectations for the day ahead

■ Bookmark your distress and observe changes over time.


Strategy #7:Perspective & Balance■ Focus on where you DO have control.

■ Zoom IN:

– This day

– This task

– Until next follow up appointment

■ Zoom OUT:

– Your values

– Your intentions

■ You are more than a cancer diagnosis

– Balance with parts of yourself outside of your diagnosis


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Dealing with Medical Uncertainty

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