His diagnosis with prostate cancer led to his decision. While many patients respond initially with a justifiable anxiety and sadness, psychologists and psychiatrists say, the life-altering event of the onslaught of their disease also can become very meaningful, changing the course of their lives and others. Although we prefer to use only the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place. Patients must adjust to many overwhelming feelings when first diagnosed, according to Daniel Shapiro, a psychologist with expertise in medical crisis counseling at the University of Arizona Medical School, in Tuscon. Loss of control and a change in how they identify themselves, either as a worker or a member of a family, can also be jarring.
People have to redefine themselves.
Learning the Medical Jargon Individuals also have to learn to navigate through the medical environment, which can be difficult for someone unused to the jargon. Shapiro recommends a patient bring a friend or a family member to doctor visits to help ask questions and remember the answers. The patient usually is upset and can forget what he or she hears. Fla. Conflicting opinions exist about treatment, making it hard to decide the best one, he says. Fighting insurance companies for reimbursement is very stressful, too, says Thompson, who counsels patients.