Mesothelioma Help Cancer News
Nurse Recommends Flu Shot for Mesothelioma Patients
Should mesothelioma patients and their family members take the flu shot? This question was posed to a panel of mesothelioma experts at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation’s regional conference held October 10, in Chicago. The panel all agreed that, yes, everyone should unless there was an overriding, rare, reason not to take the vaccination.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the flu shot for everyone over the age of six months. It is particularly recommended for high-risk individuals who are more prone to flu complications, such as pneumonia. The list includes: people age 65 years or older; women who will be pregnant during the flu season; people who live in nursing homes; anyone with chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma, or with any condition that weakens the immune system, such as diabetes or HIV; caregivers; any person in close contact with someone in a high-risk group, such as health care workers and household contacts; children younger than age 5, but especially those younger than 2 years old.
The flu by definition is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated every year. The flu can cause mild to severe illness. Some of the symptoms are fever, aches, chills, extreme tiredness, and lack of energy. These symptoms come on quickly. Other symptoms include headache, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and chest discomfort.
Up to 20% of Americans get the flu each year. More than 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized each year, and somewhere between 3,000 and 49,000 deaths are flu-related. According to the CDC, in the past flu seasons when the match between flu vaccine and circulatory strains of flu virus is close, a flu shot is 71% effective in reducing the flu-related hospitalizations among adults of all ages, and 77% percent effective among adults age 50 and older.
The evidence is in. Roll up your sleeves and get the flu shot! If you have had a reaction in the past to the flu shot, or have a severe egg allergy check with your doctor. If you are unsure call and ask, the benefits could be lifesaving. The flu in a mesothelioma patient who has had chemo, is a challenge that is best avoided!
If you have questions about your mesothelioma treatment or any aspect of your mesothelioma care, please email me at [email protected].
Ask Jennifer: “How Do I Manage All This Mesothelioma Paperwork?”
With any medical diagnosis comes a lot of paperwork. With something as complex as mesothelioma, that correspondence can become overwhelming. Keeping everything organized can be a daunting task, to say the least, but it’s a task worth undertaking.
I completely understand the thought that, “I have a million other things I need to worry about, I can’t sort through paperwork right now!” If there is any possible way to do it though, it really is important. Even little things like keeping all your records in one place and writing upcoming appointments on a calendar can make a world of difference. You never know when someone might need to see a form or copy of a scan. It’s very useful and beneficial if you are able to provide that information to them.
Mom kept the bulk of Dad’s records in a basket, and then the things that seemed more pertinent were put in a folder. That folder, along with a notebook, accompanied them to every appointment, meeting, and treatment. It proved to be a valuable resource time and time again.
If you’re not sure how to organize things, talk to someone at your doctor’s office; they may be able to give you some more specific guidance. Ask a friend for some help, their clear thinking will be extremely helpful! Best of luck to you and remember to always believe in a cure!
Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.
Nurse Explains Mesothelioma Treatment Decision Points Used at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Deciding which path to choose in the treatment of mesothelioma can be confusing and overwhelming. The available options are often individualized and tailored to the patient based on the stage of the disease, lymph node involvement, and the patient’s functional status. Using this information and the patient’s desires, the mesothelioma team and the patient will work together to determine the best plan for the patient.
Some questions for the patient to ask him/herself include: Is the chance of living longer worth going through surgery, chemotherapy, and more tests? How do I make a decision when the stakes are so high? Do I understand all the options presented by my oncologist?
Dr. Raphael Bueno, Director of the International Mesothelioma Program, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, talks about three factors that he and his team, and the patient, consider when deciding on a treatment plan for mesothelioma.
Dr. Bueno’s first step is to determine how advanced the cancer is. Is it actually mesothelioma? Is the mesothelioma localized or has it spread to the lymph nodes? Is it amenable to surgery? Is chemotherapy a better option than surgery? These questions emphasize why it is so important to go to a treatment center with mesothelioma experts. They can give you the benefit of their experience in treating patients with mesothelioma that other less experienced teams cannot.
The second factor that Dr. Bueno uses is the patient’s physical condition. Functional status is the term used to describe what the patient is able to do to meet their daily needs, fulfill usual roles, and maintain health and well-being. Is the patient debilitated? Can he/she walk or are they bed bound?
The third factor is, “What does the patient want?” This is where you have to look deep inside yourself and ask yourself, “Is this what I want?” Do you want to turn over every stone and fight aggressively? Is what you are feeling the right path for you?
This is a brief, simplified outline of a very involved multidisciplinary process involving many experts. However, I hope that it does give you some questions to contemplate, and shows you that your mesothelioma treatment is not dictated by the medical team but is a collaborative decision.
The decisions that go into determining your mesothelioma treatment plan are not easy, but support is available. Remember that progress is being made, and there is hope!
If you have questions about your mesothelioma treatment or any aspect of your mesothelioma care, please email me at [email protected].
Mom’s Strength and Faith Keep Me Going
Over the past couple of years, I have realized what I always suspected: my Mom is the strongest woman I have ever known. Throughout Dad’s fight with mesothelioma, she was the rock that we all turned to for guidance and reassurance. When Dad passed away, she was the one who made us feel like everything would be ok. How she does it, I will never know.
Mom’s inner strength has always amazed me. From the time I was a little girl, I always knew she was “tough;” it took something like a mesothelioma diagnosis for me to realize just how tough she really is. Mom’s faith never wavered during all the ups and downs that came with this unchartered territory. Right from the start when I asked her what we were going to do, her strength shined through.
This past year has been tough on all of us without Dad. Even so, Mom, who lost her husband of nearly 32 years, has been the one holding us all together. When I feel down, she makes me realize that Dad is in a better place now with no pain and no suffering. He can breathe again, sing again, and is an angel who is always with us.
I thank God every day for Mom, and pray that I might have even half of the strength that she has. Handling every day with dignity and poise in the face of adversity is not an easy task, but it’s one that Mom has had to endure every day. She is a wonderful example of the beauty that lies deep within true strength.
Attention Caregivers! Please Participate in Our Survey
Mesothelioma patients have a long journey that includes doctors’ appointments, countless prescriptions, and extensive treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, among others. Caregivers are the silent hero of the day-to-day living needs and managing the illness.
“I have come to terms that it’s my place to do any extra work involved in caring. I don’t think about it anymore, it is just natural,” says Ray Nye, a caregiver for his wife, Mavis, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma.
To more fully understand the struggles and triumphs of caregiving, author of Things I Wish I’d Known, Debbie Cornwall, is collaborating with MesotheliomaHelp.org to get answers for current caregivers on job duties, emotional status, and more. If you are a caregiver, please take the time to answer a quick study on your cancer caregiving challenges.
A caregiver is defined as one who assists another person who is ill, disabled, or often needs help with daily activities, but a caregiver is so much more than that.
Common duties for a caregiver can include:
- Providing companionship and conversation
- Providing stabilization and assistance with walking
- Preparing meals and cleaning up meal-related items
- Providing medication reminders and appointment reminders
- Personal Care services are personal in nature and often include assistance with activities of daily living
Caregivers spend an average of 20 hours per week caring for their loved ones, according to a 2009 National Alliance for Caregiving study in collaboration with AARP.
A Pew survey found that between 2010 and 2013, caregivers increased 10 percent, making it 4 in 10 U.S. adults caring for a sick or elderly family member. Caregiving is an emotional and physical job that isn’t easy, that’s why they should also have time to take care of themselves too. Caregivers are the backbone of care. They often fill prescriptions, go on walks with patients, plan and prepare meals, do light housekeeping, and other activities.
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Free Mesothelioma Patient & Treatment Guide
We’d like to offer you our in-depth guide, “A Patient’s Guide to Mesothelioma,” absolutely free of charge.
It contains a wealth of information and resources to help you better understand the condition, choose (and afford) appropriate treatment, and exercise your legal right to compensation.
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