“Treating the patient, not just the cancer”

Here’s a well-written, timely and important article article from Kay Manning that appeared in the Health & Family section of the Wednesday, April 30^th 2014 Chicago Tribune. I’d give you a link, but I can’t seem to find one. If you subscribe to the digital edition, here’s the link: http://eedition.chicagotribune.com/Olive/ODE/ChicagoTribune2/

These first few sentences provides a great synopsis:

    “Hi, how are you doing,” asks the oncologist in greeting the patient.

    “Fine,” she answers automatically, ignoring her fatigue and anxiety.

     This disconnect – the physician believing the patient will raise any serious concerns,   while the patient is focused on the life-threatening disease – has been all too common, but that’s about to change.

Manning goes on to quote Karen Masino, a cancer nurse navigator at Ingalls Hospital who said, “We’ve woken up to the fact that we have to look at patients holistically.”

At its core, the Manning describes how cancer centers across the country will be implementing two new care standards next year. Each patient must be screened for “distress” and referred for any help need. After treatment each must be provided with a detailed summary of care and possible side effects.

This article is chock-full of good, meaty information about looking at patients holistically – why it’s important and how it’s going to happen in the majority of cancer treatment centers starting next year.

If you find a link, please send it to me and I’ll post it for everybody.

Thanks,

John

Free Fitness Program for Cancer Survivors

While exercise is important for everybody, I tend to think that we cancer and brain tumor victims can benefit even more than normal folks. So I was pleasantly surprised to read this posting at www.1uponcancer.com about a free fitness program for cancer survivors that you might be able to access through your local YMCA. 

According to the LIVESTRONG website, “LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a twelve-week, small group program designed for adult cancer survivors. This program fulfills the important need of supporting the increasing number of cancer survivors who find themselves in the transitional period between completing their cancer treatment and the shift to feeling physically and emotionally strong enough to attempt to return to their normal life or their "new normal". The program is conducted outside of medical facilities to emphasize that LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is about health, not disease.”

I especially liked the following line on their website: “YMCA fitness instructors work with each participant to fit the program to their individual needs. The instructors are trained in the elements of cancer, post rehab exercise and supportive cancer care.”

Here's a link to the LIVESTRONG web page talking about this program: http://www.livestrong.org/What-We-Do/Our-Actions/Programs-Partnerships/LIVESTRONG-at-the-YMCA  

Still not convinced about the importance of fitness for brain tumor and cancer victims?  Read these previous posts of mine:

Guest Posting from David Haas: “Fight Cancer with Fitness” -  http://johnstumor.blogspot.com/2011/12/guest-posting-from-david-haas-fight.html

The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness by Alvaro Fernadez and Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg. - http://johnstumor.blogspot.com/2012/02/brain-maintenance-stress-management.html

Gretchen Reynold’s nifty book entitled The First 20 Minutes - http://johnstumor.blogspot.com/2012/05/brain-over-brawn-or-more-accurately.html

And, of course, some of what I learned from Barbara Strauch’s wonderful book, The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain - http://johnstumor.blogspot.com/2012/02/brain-heresy-middle-aged-brains-are.html

Yes, this is a passion of mine.