help me fight this fear..please!

Sepanian
Sepanian Member Posts: 7
edited March 2014 in Grief and Bereavement #1
Just last Thursday, my father passed away due to cardiac arrest caused by the tumor bleeding into his lungs and suffocating him. As unfortunate as this situation is for the entire family, we are all a little relieved that it's all over and that he no longer suffers.

However, I have now found a new psychological problem within myself. I now fear cancer like no other. I fear that I will follow the footsteps of my father. Even though I have given up smoking cigarettes for 10 months now, I have come to find out, from doing so much research, that you can very easily get cancer without having smoked a single cigarette in your life because there are so many different types of cancer. I fear that because of this fear of getting cancer and suffering like my father did, I may create a case of hypochondriac. I am now taking many vitamins, eating broccoli, berries, celery, garlic, and many other things to prevent any case of cancer.

Any psychological support to help me get over this?

Comments

  • grandmafay
    grandmafay Member Posts: 1,633 Member
    Fear
    We all have fear, and watching a loved one die from cancer is hard. My husband lost his battle with colon cancer 2 months ago. He was adopted, so we don't know the family history. My fear is for our sons. Both talked with their drs. One had a colonoscopy; the other was told to wait a few years before his. All we can do is take care of ourselves the best we can. Eating healthy and not smoking is a good thing. My husband fought stage 4 colon cancer for six years. He used to say that he was going to be really upset if he got hit by a bus and killed during that time. My point is, we don't know what life or death has in store for us. We can just do the best we can at the time. If each of us could live our lives as if it were our last day, we would probably be better people. I know that my husband's last 6 years were both some of the best and the worst we had together. When he felt well enough, we made great memories with family and friends. When he was fatigued or in pain, we both hurt.

    Also, it's important to remember that we know more about cancer today that we ever have. People with cancer are living longer and many have survived it. Take care, Fay
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    Hi Sepanian
    Nothing to fear, I have been going through NPC cancer for six years now, all I do it to put my Faith in God that he will be my guide through life. I do believe you need to start taking better care of your body but that is only one aspect of being health. How is your faith in God, trust him that no matter what direction your life takes you that He will be your guide. I have been doing a lot of herbal stuff to better help me to stay strong, that with prayer is all that is needed. My e-mail address is on my post, drop me a line and I will send you some stuff you can do to help you body stay healthy.
    Take care and God bless
  • santafe2323
    santafe2323 Member Posts: 7
    Fears will change to hope
    It is ok that you are fearful that you may experience cancer. Just make sure that you can manager that fear into a health program of prevention and managed healthcare. Right now the fear is overwhelming perhaps because the question of mortality is too personal today. But remember, you quit smoking that is a great plus. You are also taking vitamins and eating well and taking many other steps to stay healthy. Manage your health care and it will help you avoid the cancer experience. Dwell less on the cancer but concentrate on your grieving for your father. Take your time, feel what feels right for you, no one else. Take your time. Don't believe everything you read on the internet and finally believe that you have the the ability to stay healthy.

    I was diagnosed with breast cancer 24 years after my father died of lung cancer. His experience did not seem to relate to me 24 years later, did it? ...who is to tell? No one had experienced breast cancer in my family line. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years after me. Then she had lung cancer 6 years later. None of my other brothers and sisters are dealing with cancer. No, they are not doomed to live with cancer just because the baby sister had first.
  • santafe2323
    santafe2323 Member Posts: 7
    Fears will change to hope
    It is ok that you are fearful that you may experience cancer. Just make sure that you can manager that fear into a health program of prevention and managed healthcare. Right now the fear is overwhelming perhaps because the question of mortality is too personal today. But remember, you quit smoking that is a great plus. You are also taking vitamins and eating well and taking many other steps to stay healthy. Manage your health care and it will help you avoid the cancer experience. Dwell less on the cancer but concentrate on your grieving for your father. Take your time, feel what feels right for you, no one else. Take your time. Don't believe everything you read on the internet and finally believe that you have the the ability to stay healthy.

    I was diagnosed with breast cancer 24 years after my father died of lung cancer. His experience did not seem to relate to me 24 years later, did it? ...who is to tell? No one had experienced breast cancer in my family line. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years after me. Then she had lung cancer 6 years later. None of my other brothers and sisters are dealing with cancer. No, they are not doomed to live with cancer just because the baby sister had first.
  • santafe2323
    santafe2323 Member Posts: 7
    Fears will change to hope
    It is ok that you are fearful that you may experience cancer. Just make sure that you can manager that fear into a health program of prevention and managed healthcare. Right now the fear is overwhelming perhaps because the question of mortality is too personal today. But remember, you quit smoking that is a great plus. You are also taking vitamins and eating well and taking many other steps to stay healthy. Manage your health care and it will help you avoid the cancer experience. Dwell less on the cancer but concentrate on your grieving for your father. Take your time, feel what feels right for you, no one else. Take your time. Don't believe everything you read on the internet and finally believe that you have the the ability to stay healthy.

    I was diagnosed with breast cancer 24 years after my father died of lung cancer. His experience did not seem to relate to me 24 years later, did it? ...who is to tell? No one had experienced breast cancer in my family line. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years after me. Then she had lung cancer 6 years later. None of my other brothers and sisters are dealing with cancer. No, they are not doomed to live with cancer just because the baby sister had first.