To Be on the Safe Side...

B'SD

25 Mar-Cheshvan


Whenever I speak about my book in public, and as I indicate several times in my book, the emphasis is on being non-judgmental. A person who is ill can't choose or control their SYMPTOMS. Despite focused efforts and the best of intentions, a seriously ill individual can't always control their REACTIONS to those symptoms either.

Click on this New York Daily News article to understand why the ordinary acts of walking, chewing, seeing correctly (among other problems) can be more than some brain tumor patients can manage.

One item that the article does not address is the exhaustion that goes with brain tumors, especially after surgical removal. A human body works hard to overcome the trauma that surgery can be. The aftermath might include: healing scars, replenishing blood supplies, shedding drugs used during surgery, fighting off seizures and perhaps accommodating anti-seizure medication (wow does that stuff have side-effects). There's another adjustment going at the same time: learning to use nerves that are no longer compromised by the weight or other interference of the now-gone tumor(s). That adjustment is unique to each person.

Coupled with everything else going on in the person's body, a sense of sleepiness sometimes lingers for weeks or months. It's a sign that the body is tired from all the coping mechanisms it uses.

It is NOT a sign of unhappiness.

I'll say it again: Some people confuse the physical drain with emotional depression. Please don't. You'll just confuse everybody and choose unhelpful responses. That's not good.

Don't make assumptions. The perplexing state of affairs is true for many medical problems. Choose compassion, not panic. Ask questions of doctors and therapists; seek out solutions that improve life for the ill person and for you.


Winter's here with grayer days while the holiday season beckons us to be happy. A serious medical situation can complicate things. Here's my suggestion for minimizing the hardship:



BUY MY BOOK and read about some wonderful coping strategies proven effective over time. There's a reason that a minister, rabbis, scientists and doctors wrote their recommended reading praises on the cover of It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To: A Life Book that Helps You to Dry Your Tears and to Cope with a Medical Challenge.

Wishing you a pleasant holiday season,


Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life