Posts Tagged ‘cancer survivors’
Pearls Of Wisdom
In my first blog in 2010, I am once again turning my attention to the very important topic of survivorship. Although I did not get any survivorship stories from my bloggers out there in “blog land,” I went on my own search for them because I know there is great strength in the telling of one’s story and the effect it has on another survivor could be profound and enlightening. Survivorship remains an important concept in cancer care because after all it is the aim of early diagnosis and treatment – improved prognosis for survival. I wanted to know 1) the survivor’s diagnosis and date of diagnosis; 2) what important lesson was learned along the journey; and 3) what pearls of wisdom would you share with patients, who are newly-diagnosed with cancer. Here are a couple of stories from survivors I interviewed:
Maria said, “I was diagnosed in 1998 with Stage One Breast cancer and chose to have mastectomy to be sure of clear margins. Along the way, I learnt that when you are hit with challenges in your health, you can find strength in everyone around you. My pearls of wisdom are that one must sort through one’s life and the things that are important and to overcome those hurdles of fear, denial, anger, depression, acceptance in order to move forward. Make everyday of your life count because life is too short not to enjoy it.”
Vickey indicated she was diagnosed with two different cancers, in 1981 with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva and in 1992 with breast cancer. She went on to say that along the way she learnt the value of having close family and friends to accompany her to the doctors and take notes. “I gathered the information and opinions from professionals, not rumors, and then decided for myself about what was best for me. My pearls of wisdom are to take time to make your own decisions about your treatment and survivorship – the cancer did not occur overnight.”
I thank the survivors for their stories because often we hear the word “cancer” and we don’t always equate it with survivorship. So as we begin the 2010, I want to challenge you to think about life and how we can make the most of our lives as Maria said. I hope you all had a wonderful Hanukkah or Christmas and for those of you still celebrating Kwanzaa, have a wonderful Kwanzaa celebration. I wish you all a Happy New Year. Be safe and come back with more stories to celebrate life.
Survivorship Journeys
Cancer survivorship continues to be our topic of discussion because as I mentioned in my last blog post, there are over 12 million cancer survivors today and growing. The Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center wants to be ready to deliver survivorship care as adeptly as other cancer centers throughout the United States. I continue to stress the fact that treating the patients’ disease is only a fraction of the care and that their psychosocial, spiritual, socioeconomic and social needs need to be addressed along with their physical needs.
We are working diligently on accomplishing our goal of setting up a survivorship program by July 2010 to routinely address the comprehensive needs of our survivors. We continue to partner with other cancer organizations to bring programs to our survivors and their caregivers such as the American Cancer Society’s “I Can Cope Program,” which was offered to the community this weekend on the second floor of the Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center. We had approximately 40 participants in attendance and many wonderful educational sessions were presented. We also partnered with patients, their families and members of the community in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at their annual “Light the Night” walk this weekend. We are hoping to continue with our partnership with and for our survivors and their families. I would also like to hear your survivorship stories so don’t be shy, leave a comment about what your survivorship journey was like.
The Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center offers several cancer support groups to meet the needs of our patients and families/caregivers. Click here to see the upcoming calendar of available support groups. We also offer weekly and seasonal bereavement (around the holidays) support groups. I am still soliciting thoughts on support groups or any other aspect of cancer support. What role has cancer support played in your cancer treatment experience?
Cancer Survivorship
Cancer survivorship is one of the most talked about aspect in oncology care today.
Why, one would ask? Who are these survivors and how do we define who a cancer survivor is? Recent reports indicate that today there are over 12 million cancer survivors in the United States and approximately 20 million cancer survivors across the globe. This increase in the numbers of people surviving cancer today as well as how vocal our cancer survivors have been about their unmet needs makes a huge difference in our perceptions about this population.
We must also admit that having some really famous people such as Lance Armstrong and other prominent figures talking openly about their experience with cancer either personally or someone they know and love has created more awareness about this issue. We have become acutely aware that cancer survivors are not only living longer with the advances in medicine and early detection measures discovering cancer earlier, but are still actively pursuing their lives once they have completed their treatment.
Some people have indicated that one can be called a survivor from the day of diagnosis, while others feel that the patient should have completed their course of treatment or have survived five years or more beyond their diagnosis. The National Coalition for Cancer Survivors (NCCS) defined a cancer survivor as “anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer through the balance of his or her life.”
There is more to come on this series but I would like to hear your thoughts about cancer survivorship, what it means to you, what do you hope for in your survivorship journey? Please share your thoughts with me. The Bienes Cancer Center offers several cancer support groups to meet the needs of our patients and families/caregivers. We also offer weekly and seasonal bereavement support groups. Remember when seeking online support groups, please make sure it is from a trusted individual or organization, such as Breast Cancer Network of Strength, which offers a men’s support line or Cancer Care, Inc. On-line support groups have their role but I still encourage face-to-face contact whenever possible or desired. I am still soliciting thoughts on support groups or any other aspect of cancer support. What role has cancer support played in your cancer treatment experience?
About the Center
The Michael & Dianne Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the Cancer Care Leader in Broward County. Dedicated to providing patients with precise diagnosis, the latest and most advanced treatment and aftercare options, we offer a multidisciplinary approach to care, a compassionate and spiritual healing environment, and an affiliation with the National Cancer Institute. We are also working together with Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center to provide South Florida residents with rapid access to specialized cancer care and genetics counseling.
Browse by Category
- Breast Cancer Surgery (14)
- Cancer Support (24)
- Gastrointestinal Cancer (4)
- General Medical (28)
- Lung Cancer (10)
- Nutrition (2)
- Prostate Cancer (5)
- Radiation (11)
- Research and Genetics (21)
- Spirituality (20)