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A ~ B ~ C ~ D ~ E ~ F ~ G ~ H ~ I ~ J ~ K ~ L ~ M ~ N ~ O ~ P ~ Q ~ R ~ S ~ T ~ U ~ V ~ W ~ X ~ Y ~ Z
Acupuncture
Of proven benefit for many of the issues common to cancer patients. Find yourself a reputable acupuncturist who has the proper training (it takes years to qualify - correspondence courses do not qualify).
Advocacy
You have to be your own advocate. You have to chase up your doctors and nurses every time. There are lots of things they should do as part of their job. Like when you phone a cancer care unit nurse to provide them with information that might alter the amount of your next dose of chemo, you shouldn't have to chase them up to make sure they have followed it up. But you do. Before your next chemo is due ring them again. Make sure the information, whatever it is, gets to the right person. Phone the oncologist directly if that is what works.
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The big C. No, not cancer, rather constipation...
Certain medications can cause constipation, particularly the opioids.
You may find you need a mixture of laxatives and stool softeners, as well as plenty of fluids (8-10 glasses a day). Try pear or prune juice to keep things moving. Exercise also helps. Talk to your doc or cancer care nurse.
Take it easy on the fibre though, as "the use of fiber is generally not helpful unless [patients] plan to drink 1 to 2 gallons of water per day. The reason is that fiber in a slow-moving gut is going to produce more opportunity to create concrete obstructions as fecal material mixes with fiber, becomes desiccated, and forms large plugs. You remember that playing with dirt and water as a child formed mud. If you tossed in a handful of grass, you had a construction material that's called adobe. Therefore, we want to get past adobe and help people take opioids without becoming constipated or impacted, for that matter." Extract quoted from Advances in Opioid Analgesia: Maximizing Benefit While Minimizing Risk by B. Eliot Cole, MD, MPA et al. (Release Date: April 6, 2007, Medscape Family Medicine, http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/6675)
The Cure
Some people, including those you love and adore and who love and adore you right back, believe that the cure is to be found out there on the net, or in a new alternative health program they suggest you try, or in making certain changes to your diet and life.
There is no question that eating a balanced, healthy diet, drinking enough good fluids, getting plenty of exercise and quality sleep, and minimising stress will help you and help keep your body strong. But only you can decide what, if any, complementary and alternative treatments you want to do.
All the stuff out there on the net about cures, unproven treatments, and the causes of breast cancer can be confusing and unhelpful.
Something that promises a cure is unlikely to deliver. Unproven treatments are just that, unproven. They may also be expensive and carry unknown side effects or interactions with your medication. The doctrine ‘caveat emptor’ or ‘let the buyer beware’ holds as true today in the virtual world of the internet as it did before the advent of consumer protection legislation in the real world of bricks and mortar shops and commercial transactions.
As far as the cause of breast cancer there is a list of known risk factors. Beyond that we simply don't yet know. When you hear stuff about breast cancer being caused by emotional deficiencies, it is worth remembering the following points from Bathsheba's Breast, Women, Cancer and History by James S.Olsen:
1. "In the Middle Ages, priests and physicians - who knew nothing about the relationship between rats, fleas and the bubonic bacterium - argued that the best defense against the plague was a positive attitude."
2. "William H. Welch's medical textbook The Principles and Practice of Medicine (1881) attributed tuberculosis to hereditary disposition, a sedentary lifestyle, poor ventilation and "depressing emotions". Others saw the roots of the disease in emotional excess - too much sex, too much rich food and too much alcohol... Robert Koch discovered the tubercle bacillus in 1882; the next edition of Welch's medical textbook said nothing about a connection between emotions and the disease."
3. And of course more recently, the majority of ulcers were discovered to be caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium and not stress or spicy food as previously believed.
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Finances
If you are experiencing financial difficulties ask to talk to the social worker at your local cancer care unit.
In Australia, in some circumstances you may be able to access your super and super life insurance early. Contact your super fund to find out more.
Many of your medical expenses are tax deductible. Net medical expenses are the medical expenses you have paid less any refunds you got, or could get, from Medicare or a private health fund. You can claim a tax offset of 20% – 20 cents in the dollar – of your net medical expenses over $1,500. There is no upper limit on the amount you can claim. For further information click here.
Most of us have a number of unnecessary expenses in our lives. Working out what these are and cutting back on some of them will lessen the pain of reduced income, while still maintaining your family's quality of life.
If required, a financial adviser with experience in advanced illnesses can advise you on ways that you might be able to reorganise your finances without too much financial pain.
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Grief
It's okay to allow yourself to grieve.
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Insomnia
Try listening to the guided relaxation tracks on the Learning to relax cassette or CD. Contact The Australian Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 to order a copy (8am-8pm Mon-Fri).
Now and then you may need a sleeping pill. No big deal.
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Nausea
You probably have medication that has been prescribed for you to combat nausea, a common side effect of cancer and many cancer treatments.
If the nausea is mild, you could try brewing some ginger tea as this often helps to settle nausea. Buy a quality ginger tea or shave slices of fresh ginger root into a teapot and allow to brew for several minutes. Sipping on ginger beer/ginger ale is also quite effective, as is pear juice.
If nausea is not relieved by any of the above or by taking your nausea medication, speak to your doctor or cancer nurse as unrelieved nausea makes life miserable.
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Palliative Care
In Australia, consider getting in touch with your local palliative care service as early as possible after diagnosis with metastatic cancer. It doesn't mean you're going to die any time soon, but it does mean that, among other things, you will be able to phone someone with expertise in pain control and cancer issues if you have any problems after hours, and let's face it, problems unfailingly occur after hours. Talk to your GP or oncologist about it. For more information, click here.
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Que sera sera
Whatever will be will be. Fully accepting this can help you to live more in the moment and enjoy what's happening in the here and now in your life (it works for me - well, mostly anyway, there will always be off days).
If you are still working and if you can, reducing your working hours should also make a huge difference to your fatigue levels and hence your ability to function as close to normally as possible without having to spend the weekend recovering for the next working week. All that equals a better quality of life for you and everyone around you. Of course, if your condition stabilises or improves, you can always increase your hours again .
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Relaxation
Learning to relax - This cassette or CD provides information and instruction on relaxation generally and more specifically on breathing relaxation, muscle relaxation and visual imagery. (Ed. Definitely helps and is a great sleep aid.) Contact The Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 to order a copy (8am-8pm Mon-Fri).
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Telephone Support
In Australia, phone The Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 (8am-8pm Mon-Fri). It is a free, confidential telephone information and support service. Specially trained staff can answer questions about all aspects of cancer, including treatment. They can also assist with practical and emotional support and advise callers about specific services appropriate to their needs and location. The service can be accessed from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call.
Y-ME is an American organisation with a 24/7 Hotline on 1-800-221-2141 that offers information and emotional support, ensuring that no one faces breast cancer alone.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
TCM can have a role in metastatic breast cancer. One of my specialist doctors told me that some of her patients using TCM herbs alongside their cancer treatments survived much longer than expected. Talk to you medical team about it. Make sure your TCM practitioner is properly qualified and has experience dealing with breast cancer as some herbs are estrogenic for example, and not recommended if your cancer is estrogen receptor positive (ER+).
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Work
If you still work, try to reduce your hours so that you have more time for yourself and for looking after your health, as well as for your family and friends. At some point, if your illness continues to progress, you may wish to consider retiring.
Most of us have a number of unnecessary expenses in our lives. Working out what these are and cutting back on some of them will lessen the pain of reduced income, while still maintaining your family's quality of life.
If required, a financial adviser with experience in advanced illnesses can advise you on ways that you might be able to reorganise your finances without too much financial pain to allow you to give up some work.
In Australia, in some circumstances you may be able to access your super and super life insurance early. Contact your super fund to find out more. Also, many of your medical expenses are tax deductible. For further information click here.
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Zometa
One of the bisphosphonates - a new class of drug that helps protect and strengthen your bones when you have metastases to the bones. In rare cases bisphosphonates can cause osteonecrosis of the jaw (breakdown and non-healing of bones in the jaw) after invasive dental procedures. It is probably a good idea to have any invasive dental work done before starting bisphosphonates as you will probably be on them long term and they stay in your system for a long time after stopping treatment.
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