No pain doesn’t mean everything is OK

“THERE ARE other persons who might seek advice from friends, or sometimes friends give unsolicited advice. While these persons may mean well, it is best to discuss whatever information they give with your physician, who knows the details of your condition,” Dr Lindberg Simpson said. “One common misconception is that if there is no pain, then everything is OK. Additionally, some persons may seek the intervention of a church elder or minister to pray on their behalf. While this is helpful, it should not replace conventional treatment. Even the advice of friends who may be doctors or nurses may not apply to your situation,” he said.

Dr Guyan Arscott, renowned plastic surgeon, shared similar observations, saying that he has encountered three common reactions.

“Almost a third will be shattered by the diagnosis and the cancer stands out like an elephant. Another percentage is usually worried about what the procedure entails because it’s not only going to involve medicines and surgeries, but it’s going to affect their image. The other group is desperately worried about surgery and chemotherapy, so you might have a percentage that goes into denial,” Arscott told The Gleaner.

“They (patients in denial) end up not going through the next step of getting treatment and then having been told what the treatment entails, find a lot of alternative routes, non-medical advice, family members and friends. Fortunately, it’s a small percentage.”