Speak up!
When you have cancer, it can sometimes feel like you have lost all control, but your treatment is about you. So do not be afraid to say what you think.
It is your treatment. You are the most important person, even if it may not always feel that way. Especially when the physicians and nurses you meet use medical language that is hard to understand. Speak up if you have questions or if you want to know more about other options. Or if you would simply like someone to explain what is happening calmly and in clear language. It can help to write down your questions in advance.
Maybe you would like to postpone your next chemotherapy treatment until after a test or exam. Or perhaps you would like to leave the hospital for a few days to join a school trip. Whatever you would like to know, if you do not ask, you will not know whether it is possible. So go ahead and ask. Your treatment team understands this and will gladly look with you at what might be possible.
Standing up for yourself can be difficult, but it is often easier than it seems. It is important that the people around you know what matters to you.
See the page Talking with your treatment team for more information about talking with your treatment team, and the page Questions you can ask for tips on questions you can ask your treatment team.
Your parents
You may feel comfortable letting your father, mother, or caregiver make the decisions about your treatment. That is completely fine. It is your choice.
But it may also happen that you want to make a decision yourself and find it difficult to get your parents to listen. They are probably worried and want to do what they think is best, but that can sometimes feel frustrating.
If this sounds familiar, try to let them know how you feel. If you are between 12 and 16 years old, you make decisions about your treatment together with your parents. If you are older than 16, you can make your own decisions about your treatment.
In most situations, it is best to discuss the options together. You can gently remind your parents that you are old enough and that you would like to be involved in decisions about your treatment. You have the right to be involved in decisions about your care and treatment, so do not be afraid to speak up.