Finding Ways To Cope
- “Southern Charm” star Madison LeCroy, 34, has revealed her husband Brett Randle, 38, has a tumor on his kidney and her mom has urged her to “comfort” and “love” Randle during this time. It’s unclear whether the tumor is benign or cancerous, but the news is certainly shocking to LeCroy as it comes after Randle’s thyroid cancer battle.
- Randle’s recent cancer diagnosis reminds us that there’s been a rise in younger people getting diagnosed with cancer. So, making all of your doctor’s appointments for major health screenings is a good way to make sure your health is covered from all angles, whether it’s a mammogram, Pap smear, colonoscopy, screening for prostate cancer, lung cancer scan, or a skin check at the dermatologist.
- Coping with a diagnosis or some other stressor in your life can be an emotional experience that affects your mental health. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik suggests people facing these kinds of challenges tap into their support group to help navigate their emotions.
- Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology and an advocate for cancer patients to prioritize their mental health, told SurvivorNet, “We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes.”
- Our mental health can affect how we think, feel, and behave. Certain triggers like stress, traumatic events, or change in your physical health can affect mental health. It’s really important to keep tabs on your mental health and, if necessary, seek treatment. Please check out SurvivorNet’s mental health guide for resources to help you on your way.
LeCroy, who shares her son Hudson, 11, with her ex-husband Josh Hughes and married Randle in 2022, was seen emotional on a recent episode of season 10 of “Southern Charm” telling her mom about the tumor.
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The emotional reality TV star continued, “We don’t know what it is, but it’s still … I didn’t start crying or anything. But if I lost him I would die.
“I just kind of, I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.”
Her mom responded, “All you can do is comfort him and love him and just keep telling him that you’re right here by his side. I wished I’d done more for your dad, but your dad was too far gone.”
LeCroy’s dad, Ted Lecroy, passed away from an unspecified type of cancer in late 2023.
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As LeCroy spoke in a confessional on the episode, she confessed “this is definitely the worst year of my life,” adding, “‘Cause my dad was diagnosed with cancer, too, but he didn’t last. This is life, I guess. I just f**king hate it.”
It’s important to remember that our mental health affects how we think, feel, and behave. Certain triggers like stress, traumatic events, or changes in your physical health can affect your mental health. SurvivorNet offers tools for anyone seeking help amid a mental health journey.
Check Out SurvivorNet’s Mental Health Resource Page
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Despite LeCroy’s worries about the tumor on Randle’s kidney, the South Carolina native did share some uplifting news at the start of this year, writing on her Instagram story on January 2 that he’s “doing so well,” Bravo reports.
She added, “We’re beyond thankful for him. And thrilled to see him getting better every day.”
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Bravo also noted that LeCroy’s husband previously offered a health update on Episode 4 of the show’s Season 10, saying, “It doesn’t necessarily hurt, I just have to think about it to swallow. They had to adjust the medication. I’ll try that for a couple of months and then get tested and see if that’s where it should be. And they did a scan of a spot on my kidney … They had to biopsy that and see what it is.”
Randle’s cancer news was shared on episode two of season 10, according to BravoTV, a time when his wife explained to cameras, “Unfortunately, Brett was diagnosed with thyroid cancer toward the end of last year, around our one year wedding anniversary.
“I thought, like, how? Like, I’m finally happy. I mean, it’s just scary.”
She continued, “I’m thankful that Bret was able to go in. They removed a three centimeter nodule, so the cancer is gone but now he’s having complications. So I feel like we can’t catch a f***ing break.”
@hayusocial Madison opens up about Brett’s devastating diagnosis on this week’s all new #SouthernCharm
In a video clip from the episode, shared on TikTok, LeCroy is seen walking over to her husband sweetly saying she’ll kiss his neck and “make it better.”
According to BravoTV, the emotional episode also shows LeCroy asking her husband, how he’s feeling and how it felt to swallow while she and her son were preparing breakfast.
Randell noted he was feeling alright but needed to see a specialist for some discomfort he was experiencing in his throat.
He said, “Yeah, it’s like two stages. I don’t know, so I have to go see an ENT and then do some sort of therapy.”
I’ll see what they say,” Randle added, referring to the what he’s been feeling as something “sharp” in his throat.
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Younger Generations Getting Diagnosed With Cancer
LeCroy’s husband’s cancer journey and recent health scare reminds us that recent data has revealed a concerning uptick amongst certain types of cancers.
Research findings of a mysterious cancer boom recently offered some insight into why more and more young people, under the age of 50, are getting sick—something which further emphasizes the importance of cancer screenings.
The study, published in the open access journal BMJ Oncology, found global cancer cases among younger generations have increased by nearly 80 percent between the years of 1990 and 2019. Included among the diagnoses, some of the cancers with highest incidence rates include stomach, colon, breast, and lung.
RELATED: Young and Worried About Cancer? The Five Things You Shouldn’t Do (And What Doctors Recommend)
And the fastest increasing trends were found in throat and prostate cancers—so with this information, it’s completely normal to be worried about getting cancer, and the steps you should be taking to prevent disease.
Thyroid Cancer Symptoms
Thyroid cancer, which Randle was diagnosed with, is a disease that begins in the thyroid gland, which is at the base of the neck. The cancer will often present itself as a large bump (tumor) in the neck. It remains unclear what causes the disease. Some symptoms of thyroid cancer can be mistaken for a common cold.
Dr. Scott Strome, a head and neck cancer surgeon who is currently the dean of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, and previous chair of head and neck surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, explained thyroid cancer in an earlier interview with SurvivorNet.
“We’re now able to detect thyroid disease, thyroid cancers, much earlier than we used to be able to,” Dr. Strome says. “We tend to see it predominantly in younger women, but it can occur in both men and women. In most cases, I tell my patients that, ‘Your thyroid cancer is a barnacle on the ship of life.’”
Dr. Strome suggests finding an experienced thyroid expert for treatment.
“Folks who have thyroid cancer, they need to go to a really experienced thyroid setting and have folks who really understand the disease. Those are for the most indolent type of thyroid cancers, called papillary,” he explained.
Dr. Beth Karlan says, “If You Feel Something, Say Something”
“Thyroid cancer is a pretty interesting disease, because papillary is a really indolent cancer. On the other end of the spectrum, you have what’s called anaplastic thyroid cancer, which may be one of (if not the) most aggressive cancers that we see. So it’s a whole spectrum of disease.”
Treatments for thyroid cancer can include surgery, hormone therapy, radioactive iodine, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Symptoms of thyroid cancer include the following:
- A lump in the neck, sometimes growing quickly
- Swelling in the neck
- Pain in the front of the neck, sometimes going up to the ears
- Hoarseness or other voice changes that do not go away
- Trouble swallowing
- Trouble breathing
- A constant cough that is not due to a cold
“Most people have no discrete symptoms the majority of cases now are found incidentally,” Dr. Allen Ho, MD, Director of the Head and Neck Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, said in a previous interview with SurvivorNet.
“However, a sizable number of people may first discover their cancer when they feel a bump on their neck. Other possible late symptoms include problems swallowing, the sensation of something in their throat, neck compression when laying flat or voice changes.”
The good news is that many of these possible symptoms, including lumps in the thyroid, are both common and commonly benign but it never hurts to ask your doctor.
Chances of cancer recovery increase significantly with early detection, so it’s important to address any warning signs of thyroid cancer, or any cancer for that matter, with a medical expert swiftly.
Struggling Mentally Is Not the Same for Everyone
Struggling mentally does not look the same for everyone. Some people may be very high-functioning, while others show clear signs that indicate depression. Sometimes, perhaps after a particularly stressful life event, people may begin feeling anger that seems irrational or uncharacteristic.
Dr. William Breitbart, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, says that when he sees patients dealing with some sort of life-changing or even life-threatening challenge, they may turn to anger as a way to cope.
“One gets angry because one hasn’t quite achieved and fulfilled the tasks that they set out for their lives and the responsibilities that they’ve committed to fulfill,” Dr. Breitbart explains. Treatment may involve speaking with a professional and trying to come up with ways to achieve those goals. However, Dr. Breitbart notes that guiding these patients to accept their own vulnerability is also crucial.
“The last resort of relieving existential guilt is this act of being able to forgive yourself for being a human being that is vulnerable and susceptible to not being able to fulfill their full potential. So, it’s forgiveness ultimately,” he explains.
For some people, there may even be a sense of shame or guilt involved in seeking mental health treatment in the first place. However, there’s nothing to be ashamed of and it is important to realize you are not alone. In fact, the CDC reports that according to a 2020 survey, more than 20% of American adults said they sought out mental health treatment over that past year. Among those people, 16.5% said they had taken some sort of medication for their mental health and 10.1% said they had received counseling or therapy.
Managing Your Mental Health in the Face of a Health Challenge or Major Life Change
It’s only natural for health challenges and divorce have some sort of effect on one’s mental health. As Madison LeCroy is worried about the future and her husband’s health. Although she’s working to stay strong after learning that her husband has a tumor on her kidney, it’s important to note that a loved one’s diagnosis of a cancer or disease or some other external stressor can offset your mental health in ways you least expect.
Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik previously told SurvivorNet that emotions will be fluid when facing a diagnosis. SurvivorNet has some tips to help keep your mental and emotional health in a good space if you find yourself coping with a stressful situation.
The National Institute of Mental Health advises to seek professional help if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted two weeks or more, such as:
- Trouble sleeping
- Changes in appetite
- Struggling to leave bed in the morning because of your mood
- Trouble concentrating
- Loss of interest in things you usually enjoy
- Inability to perform normal daily functions and responsibilities
Equally as important is recognizing the value of self-care. The National Institute of Mental Health offers practical guidance on how to boost your weekly self-care routine.
- Regularly exercising
- Eating healthy, regular meals
- Staying hydrated
- Prioritizing sleep
- Exploring relaxation programs or techniques
- Setting goals/priorities
- Staying positive
- Connecting with others
Battling cancer comes with a ton of emotions. These can range from “anxiety, depression, financial toxicity, social isolation, and PTSD,” SurvivorNet expert and researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center Dr. Shelly Tworoger says.
Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin also shared some simple tips to help you maintain good mental health and reduce stress amid adversity.
When it comes to dealing with anxiety, Dr. Strongin says it’s important to have a healthy relationship with your anxiety and get to know it rather than fear it, avoid it, or push it away.
Dr. Strongin explained, “By learning more about your anxious thoughts and tendencies, one can begin to answer their anxious thoughts even in moments when there aren’t any answers. For cancer patients, the worry thoughts tend to be, ‘Will I survive?’
“It’s important to let those thoughts come in and really be able to tolerate them before answering them. This is a very powerful coping skill.”
Dr. Strongin suggests medications to help with anxiety and depression if other approaches are not as effective. She also urges cancer warriors to explore telemedicine.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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