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Living with the diagnosis and treatment of leukaemia in a child with Down’s syndrome: a mother’s reflection
Author(s) -
Self Donna
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
british journal of learning disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1468-3156
pISSN - 1354-4187
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-3156.2008.00516.x
Subject(s) - feeling , psychology , learned helplessness , normality , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , medicine , psychiatry , social psychology
Accessible summary• A few years ago my two year old son developed cancer. • He had treatment in hospital for a long time. • In this article I describe how we coped, as a family, with his illness and treatment.Summary In this article I will discuss the impact of my 2‐year‐old son’s diagnosis and treatment of leukaemia. I will outline the background to being told he had leukaemia before describing the family dynamics that emerged during this time for me, my husband and our other child. My story will focus on managing the practicalities of a long stay in hospital with another child at home, the different roles taken on as a mother and father and the impact on our marital relationship. I’ll then discuss the emotional journey including reflections on feelings of helplessness taking care of a vulnerable child and the wider impact on the family, e.g. guilt regarding my other child and my role in managing the emotions of the extended family. I will conclude the article by the transition to normality for my son and the rest of the family.