Create A Support System Using Friends and Family

November 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

You have your medical cancer treatment team of professionals in place. This probably happened soon after your diagnosis. But you also need a “team” comprising members of your family and friends that will provide you with home-based support.

This family and friends support is just as crucial as your medical team. Your diagnosis is certain to cause an elevated stress level and with your outside support system you will be able to navigate your disease that much better.

Do not in any circumstance be hesitant to reach out and ask for help, no matter how uncomfortable or awkward it may make you feel. You cannot do this alone, so screw up your courage and ask. You’ll probably find they didn’t know how to approach this and were actually waiting for you to take the first step in asking for help.

Treat them as a team. Use their individual strengths and don’t rely too much on a single person. This will eliminate any guilt that you may feel for imposing on a person. For instance you may have a family member who is a wonderful organizer; consider asking that person to help you plan a schedule for treatments and home life. Your best friend who is the best cook you know can step in and help create easy meals.

Try to have a friend or family member come with you to treatments and appointments. They will be there to offer much-needed emotional support. They may also be beneficial in recalling details that may not stay in your memory. Consider them a second set of ears.

Keep in mind that this is new to your family and friends, and they may not know what you want or even what to do. Give them guidance and you may find them doing things that you don’t want to do.

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Who’s On Your Cancer Treatment Team?

November 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Your head may still be foggy and spinning if you just received a cancer diagnosis. You realize that you are going to have to deal with issues, some that may be life and death, while others may be more ordinary — like will the dog get fed?

You do not have to travel this path alone and neither will your family and friends who you know are already there to support you. In addition, you’ll have your physician, but he or she is not the only medical professional that is going to be part of your support team. Proper treatment of cancer takes the skills from a lot of people.

Because the treatment of cancer is not a single approach, but multi-pronged, that is the reason you will have numerous physicians treating you. And the good treatment of cancer is not merely treating the disease alone. All kinds of other life aspects have to be addressed such as your diet, your mood and how this affecting your friends and family.

Because of all the considerations your team make include dietitians, therapists, nurses and other medical experts. There will be professionals that work behind the scenes, some of whom you may not meet including anesthesiologists and pathologists.

It is more than valuable that you have all of these professionals and experts on your care team. Each team member will be bringing a different approach and perspective to both treatment and diagnosis. And if you have many people on your treatment team, your treatment will also have many available options.

You do need to realize that the center of your team is going to be your doctor who is generally an oncologist. You will want to choose an oncologist that you feel you can communicate with and that you can trust. You need to feel that your doctor is clearly professional and knowledgeable.

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Cancer Advice and Support for Cancer Patients

September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cancer is something that nobody wants in their body especially if a child is a cancer patient. And since there are people who do have cancer, going to get some cancer advice and support group is a good thing for the body and soul. It is never a good idea to be alone at a time like this since you are vulnerable. There are people who may feel exactly the same way as you do when finding out that they have cancer. The support groups are all around you. All you have to do is get your foot in the door in order to feel better.

You can use a search engine to help you find some cancer advice and support group in your area. Or if you do not have an Internet access at home, can call or see a doctor about some support group that you can attend to. They have many connections in the medical field which if they do not know, they might know someone who does.

There are websites that give some cancer advice and support such as WebMD. They have many articles that you can read about cancer such as “how to cope with cancer” or “what to do to prolong your life with cancer.” It is very comforting to know that there are many support groups from others that may or may not be in the same boat as you are in.

A social media site is a good tool to use when you need to get some ideas on where to get cancer advice and support. Many companies are on Facebook and Twitter for example. Hospitals and clinics are starting to catch on that more people come on the Internet and it is a good way to market the company and can get friends and followers.

If you found some wonderful cancer advice and support groups, pass it on to others that can also benefit too. Living with cancer does not mean you should close yourself from the outside world.

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Cancer Centers in Seattle

September 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center campus ...

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The cancer centers in Seattle makes it possible to conduct cancer research which would help make us aware how big this epidemic is. We will never be able to find out what the cause of it without doctors doing any research at any of the cancer centers. Cancer is one of the most deadly carcinogens for humans since we consume them on a daily basis whether by at home or at work. And over time, our body absorbs so much of it that we got cancer.

Fred Hutchinson is one of the most well known cancer centers in the world. The world renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to try to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. And out of the many scientists that work there, three of them are Nobel laureates. They are located in the downtown area of Seattle. Just make sure to have some money with you since they charge to park there. And they are growing at least five scientific divisions which were stated on the website. If you are interested to check out their website, it is at http://www.fhcrc.org/.

The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance brings together doctors from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington Medicine and Seattle Children’s. Their website is located at http://www.seattlecca.org/. They also accommodate children who need help with cancer.

Skin cancer is also a concern because there are people who are getting it each year due to tanning. And over 1.2 million people are diagnosed with it. More Americans these days are going to a tanning salon or out in the sun. And over long periods of time, if done often, can cause skin cancer such as melanoma. They are located at Nordstrom Medical Tower, 1229 Madison, Suite 1090 which is in downtown Seattle. The website is at http://www.nwlink.com/~birkby1/.

Cancer seems to always be around as long as we keep going the way we’re going which is our lifestyle that we can change. And some of them are treatable such as skin cancer. It is our job on how we want to live with it.

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