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Work, Family & Friends
It can be a sad fact that following surgery on your child, you could find yourself having to give up your career, or have it severely effected. Maybe you'll need to work from home so you are available to care for your child. This can prove to be a very traumatic time for you and your family, as there is surprisingly little support for you throughout such a transition.
Of course, it isn't uncommon to have an insurance policy to protect your earnings in case you suffer a serious injury or illness. However, no one ever envisages that their child will suffer from an illness so profound that it might amount to the same thing. So when it does happen, there is simply no cover for it. You could find yourself desperately needing to earn a living, whilst at the same time also needing to fit a ‘carer role’ into your life. Unfortunately, this may mean you need to make some very important decisions which often as not become ‘life style’ changing in almost all respects.
If you're self-employed, you will almost certainly find that your earnings are substantially effected compared to when you had a paid job. There are very few opportunities for consultants who need to attend hospital month after month, that's for sure! You will have to learn to adjust to this new reality, which won't be so easy. Things like holidays, a decent car, even days out, etc may soon become luxuries you cannot afford. In fact, cutting back generally will become the norm. Please don’t get me wrong, your first priority is of course your child, we know! But you also need to earn a living, and depending upon the outcome of your child’s treatment, this may prove to be very, very difficult indeed.
Family & Friends
There is no doubt that the support of you family & friends means so much when you go through an experience like this. We really appreciated every offer to help in any way possible, because we knew that it is well intended and genuine. We must stress that whilst most of our family & friends couldn't do enough for us, you will find that some won't. If you find that this happens to you, try not to judge anyone by it. They are not obliged to do anything, and you may find they feel awkward offering help or even talking to you. That is perfectly ok. Remember, they are family & friends, not expert social workers!
Other People
Over time, you will end up dealing with people you don't know personally, be it medical staff, work contacts, and others. In our experience, we found the help & support of this group of people to be nothing short of first class. It doesn't matter who they are, and in what capacity you are dealing with them, they have all been very understanding individuals. The co-operation & compassion they have shown us has been excellent. We have yet to come across anyone who hasn't bent over backwards to provide the professional help & support we have needed. And remember, acknowledging your appreciation for their help & support, whether verbally or in writing, can mean so much to them all.
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