Health and wellbeing

Looking after your health and well-being

We can provide advice and support on how to manage your feelings and well-being when you have a brain tumour, before, during and after treatment.

Knowing you have a brain  tumour

When you are told that you have a brain tumour you may feel frightened, unreal, angry, numb, shocked. All these feelings are normal. Try not to bottle up your emotions. Talk to your family and your friends. They, too, will be upset to know that you have a serious illness. Together, by talking about it, you will support each other and gain strength.

Remember you are not to blame for your illness. It has not been caused by anything you have done, and you could not have prevented it.

Everybody will have their own special worries about their illness. You may have family worries, you may be a parent of young children, a student beginning a college course, looking after a dependent elderly parent, getting married, or you may have concerns about driving your car or your job. It will seem as if the bottom is dropping out of your world. Talk to the professionals in the hospital, and tell them about your personal worries and circumstances. They may be able to reassure you and put you in touch with others who can help.

Remember that the professionals are there to help you.

Telling your family about your illness

You will be upset at having to tell your husband, wife, children or a dependent parent about your illness. You may think that you should shield them and not tell them the truth. But try to be honest, and explain that you are not well and will need treatment. Reassure them that there will be people to help you all. The social worker at the hospital, or the community nurse, may help you to break the news to your family if you feel that you cannot do it yourself and have not got a close relative or friend to help you.

Family worries

If you have children to look after or an elderly parent, you may need to make arrangements for their care while you are in hospital and having your treatment. Always accept the help offered by family, friends and neighbours. They will want to help, so let them do your shopping, washing, ironing fetching the children from school or do some cooking. Try not to make yourself over-tired and fraught by being too independent.

If you have children at school

Let your children’s head teacher and class teacher know that you are ill and need treatment. They will then understand and be able to help if your children are upset at school.

Your feelings

When people are ill they often get tired and low. You may sometimes feel very sad, moody or even angry. This is normal. Your family, too, may have these feelings, because they are also tired and worried. Talk to each other about your feelings and try to accept them. Think of ways to help each other to cope with them.

Support groups and connecting with others in a similar situation can be very beneficial. They will help you to cope with some of the problems which your illness can bring. Whilst our face-to-face meetings are not possible at the moment due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are running support sessions and groups via Zoom, which is a popular alternative. Take a look at our support groups page to see what is coming up and how to join. We also host a very popular Support Forum on Facebook which is a friendly, helpful community and excellent for 24/7 peer-to-peer support.

Try to set aside some part of your day when you can be quiet and have time to think. Having a brain tumour and needing hospital treatment can suddenly mean that you have little time for yourself. Your hospital appointments, meeting the staff at the hospital, and friends and neighbours calling in, can mean that your life suddenly gets very busy and exhausting. Try to continue any quiet interests you had before your illness, such as listening to music, sewing, gardening, and reading. It is important that your privacy does not get swallowed up by your illness.

Talk to your family doctor. A family doctor is there to advise and support you and your family. They will not be involved in your treatment but will be kept informed of your treatment and progress by the hospital doctors.