Mesothelioma Help Cancer News
Tips for Planning Ahead When Traveling for Mesothelioma Treatment
Through my journey of caring for mesothelioma patients one characteristic shines through – persistence. It seems like a no brainer that people will do anything to live a little longer, but anything can mean a lot for many patients. Will you travel hundreds of miles to a treatment facility?
It is not easy to be away from home and to be ill. It becomes emotionally and physically exhausting. Mentally you need to be on your game. You will be gathering new information regarding your health, plans for treatment and expectations. When traveling for your treatment, you also have the added burden of planning how far you are willing to travel from home, where will you stay, who will travel with you, and if the treatment involves surgery or sometimes experimental studies, how long will you be gone.
So now you have decided to go the distance and take the plunge, and rearrange your life. Everyone knows there can be complications, but mentally planning for this can be very difficult. Complications can mean pain, more surgery, stopping chemotherapy temporarily and possibly extending your length of stay.
As I write this it does not sound bad, but living it is totally different. I see countless patients and families travel for their treatment, but I am not sure I could. Once you have an end date in mind and you begin planning to go home, changing that date can be devastating. Staying in the hospital longer than planned is never good, but when far away from your friends and family it can be even harder to handle.
Consider these few tips that can help keep your stress down when you travel for your mesothelioma treatment.
- Extend your deadline so you won’t be disappointed if you have to continue treatment longer.
- Get a coach. There are nurse coaches specifically designed to help mesothelioma patients. They can help with anxiety, pain, recovery and maintaining positive outcomes.
- Talk to a fellow mesothelioma patient. Unfortunately these treatments are not easy, but they can help ease your pain, extend your life and allow you to enjoy time with your family. Often time there are patient to patient programs where you can reach out and talk with someone who has already endured this situation and can offer tips.
If you have questions about your mesothelioma treatment or any aspect of your mesothelioma care, please contact us.
Reach Out For Help With Your Next Mesothelioma Fundraiser
When you are planning any type of fundraising event, you might wonder how you will ever get enough people to help you realize your vision. How will you pull it all together and have an event that will raise awareness and funds? In my experience, all you have to do is ask!
The biggest resource you need to host an event is manpower. There are many ways to recruit help:
Ask your family! They are usually the people most aware of what has been going on and know the most about your or your loved one’s condition.
Use social media! When I am looking for volunteers for events, I typically post a little status update on Facebook asking for help. People have been beyond generous donating raffle items, time, and funds when asked in this way.
Ask businesses! Many local businesses are happy to help with fundraising efforts and have many different ways they can assist you. They may offer to provide a sponsorship, prize, location, etc.
Talk to community organizations! For example, when planning a walk or run, there may be a group in your town who holds events like this on a regular basis. They may be able to offer equipment and people to help you make your event a success. Other groups to talk to could be from Churches or clubs.
Thank you for considering doing a fundraiser or making a donation to a mesothelioma charity! If I can ever be of help, please feel free to contact me.
Congratulations and Thanks to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City was recently rated the best cancer hospital in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. Dad was blessed to participate in a clinical trial with Dr. Lee Krug of MSKCC. How amazing to have had the opportunity to be treated at the #1 location in the country!
All of the doctors and staff that Dad encountered at MSKCC were amazing. They were compassionate, friendly, understanding, and knowledgeable; all qualities necessary for helping cancer patients and their families. Anyone who has gone through a tough medical situation can appreciate how important these qualities are in a care team, and this group is a paramount example.
Congratulations to the entire staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering, what a well-deserved honor! Thank you for all the life-saving work that you do on behalf of my family and all those lives you have touched!
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Mesothelioma Nurse Suggests Mentally Preparing for Surgery for Quicker Recovery
You or your loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, or maybe it is not yet official and you need to have a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. You are frightened and terrified of the unknown and what you know of the disease. Is there anything that can ease your suffering and put your mind at ease?
Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster: A Guide of Mind-Body Techniques, by Peggy Huddleston, is a book for everybody who is going to have surgery. It emphasizes the importance of preparing – physically, emotionally and spiritually – before, during and after your procedure. Long before you were diagnosed with mesothelioma, you have had experiences that can affect how you heal from your surgery and how effective the treatments can be.
There have been clinical studies done that document that people who prepare for an operation have less pain, fewer complications and recover sooner. Ms. Huddleston’s book focuses on how people can use their emotions, attitudes and human spirits to enhance the healing process. She has developed a five step plan to help prepare people for surgery and for the healing that needs to take place.
In brief, the five steps are:
- Relax to Feel Peaceful,
- Visualize Your Healing,
- Organize a Support Group,
- Use Healing Statements,
- Meet an Anesthesiologist.
“Using these techniques will help you: feel calmer before surgery, use 23-50% less pain medication, recover faster, save money on medical bills,” says Huddleston. Sometimes claims are made that cannot be substantiated. This book is in its 5th edition, has scientific research to back it up, and is endorsed by leading MD’s in the country. There has long been known the connection between attitude and healing and the importance of positive thinking in the recovery process.
If you have questions about your mesothelioma treatment or any aspect of your mesothelioma care, please email me at [email protected]
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Don’t Hesitate to Ask Your Medical Team Questions During Mesothelioma Treatments
I ask a lot of questions. You can ask my family and friends – I can honestly find something to ask about anything. I’m not sure why that is, it’s just how I’ve always been. This was no different when my Dad was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. In fact, I probably asked more during this period than I ever had. And you know what, it was ok.
All of Dad’s doctors, nurses, and caregivers over the course of his fight were extremely helpful, willing and able to respond to any concerns we had. No question was too trivial or small. They realized that we were scared and had no real idea of what was going on. They were also compassionate and knew that we were doing our best to comprehend the best ways to help Dad get through this awful time. There was also the medical end where everyone wanted us to understand what was being done and why.
My point here is that you should never be afraid to ask questions of your medical team. It is their job to know, or get, the answers that you are looking for and to explain the whole process of treatment to you and your family from start to finish. It is important that you are comfortable with the care plan being put into place for yourself or your loved one. Asking what a pill is for or why they are doing certain things is ok. It’s your right to know and the team understands that not everyone is a medical professional.
It’s alright to be scared and uncertain. Trust me, I was there, and it’s not an easy time to endure. I did learn that the more I understood, the better things were for me. I was glad to know what was being done to help my father and why it would be beneficial. I felt better when I could at least start to wrap my head around it. Knowing the plan of action was therapeutic for me; Dad was being helped.
Even if you don’t know what to ask at the time, write your inquiries down as you think of them and bring them up the next time you meet with a member of the medical staff. A mesothelioma diagnosis is a lot to take in, but there are wonderful people in the meso community ready and happy to help you with any questions or concerns that you have. I am so thankful for the entire medical team who helped my Dad, and appreciate all of their patience with my endless questioning!
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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