(Written from the view of the patient)
Coping With Physical Side Effects After Brain Surgery
Patients can experience different changes to their physical health after removing a brain tumor during surgery. We are going to touch on some points on how to monitor and cope with these effects.
The Importance Of Communication
Not all doctors communicate as they should. The patient and family members need to take it upon themselves to keep this communication open and honest as possible. Recovering brain patients should communicate regularly with their doctor about how they are feeling. It is important to let them know about any new side effects or changes in existing side effects. If the doctor knows how you are feeling, they can find ways to relieve or manage your side effects to help you feel more comfortable and potentially keep any side effects from worsening.
Rehabilitation
Rest plays a crucial role in recovering from brain surgery. Avoid stressful environments during recovery, as it can hamper the recovery process.
Rehabilitation may be recommended, and this could mean any of a wide range of services, such as physical therapy, career counseling, pain management, nutritional planning, and/or emotional counseling.
The goal of rehabilitation is to help people regain control over many aspects of their lives and remain as independent and productive as possible.
Try Keeping Personal Health Records
It would be helpful to keep track of your side effects so it is easier to explain any time you have to communicate with your doctor.
Brain patients need to develop a personalized follow-up care plan for themselves. They need to discuss any concerns they have about their future physical or emotional health with their doctor. Some patients continue to see their neurologist / oncologist, while others transition back to the care of their family doctor or another health care professional.
If a doctor who was not directly involved in the patient’s care, will lead the patient’s follow-up care, the patient needs to share their treatment summary and care plan with the doctor and with all future health care providers. Details about the patient’s treatment are very valuable to the health care professionals who will care for them throughout their lifetime.
Family, friends, collogues and people who are generally in contact with the patient should also take note of any physicals or psychological changes that may occur. It is important to investigate new signs in a logical and calm approach.
Monitoring Recurrence
Individuals need to keep in mind that their body knows exactly what is happening to it. So you need to learn how to listen to it. If you suspect anything is not quite as it should be, then investigate. Example, if you are recently experiencing fatigue or daily headaches and nausea which you had not had for quite a while, or it is a new symptom, have it checked out. Or, if you still have an existing tumor that causes these effects, don’t ignore it. It may be a recurrence of the same tumor or a different kind of tumor.
During follow-up care, a doctor familiar with the patient’s medical history can give them personalized information about their risk of recurrence. Their doctor will ask specific questions about their health.
People need to be routinely monitored for new symptoms with regular CT and MRI scans as well as physical examinations. If radiation therapy was given to the pituitary gland, evaluations of hormone levels may be needed. The frequency of the checkups and scans needed for follow-up care varies widely from patient to patient.
The anticipation before having a follow-up test or waiting for test results can add stress to the patient or a family member.
Being Considerate
At times patients are misunderstood. Incorrect assumptions could also be made in regards to what people think may be wrong with the patient. This usually occurs through lack of understanding. The individual may struggle to express their thoughts and feelings correctly. Or they cannot correctly express their physical challenges in a normal way.
It is important to note how to interact with the patient long-term. Find a way for them to communicate and express themselves in a comfortable way. In most cases they feel rejected, depressed, fearful, emotional, misunderstood, isolated, and undermined. They will even worry about their career being impacted by the physical effects after surgery.
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