Living With Cancer

Coping with the Diagnosis of Cancer
Learn as much as possible about your disease. Arm yourself with information in order to lessen frustration. Don't hesitate to ask questions about your disease. Consider keeping a notebook with all of the medical records and information about your diagnosis.

Coping with Terminal Cancer
Sometimes, cancer cannot be cured. When that is the case, patients and families are faced with complex emotions and a variety of end of life issues.

Palliative Care: Bringing Comfort
Palliative care focuses on improving a patient’s quality of life by improving the symptoms of his or her illness, such as pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping. It's used with a variety of ailments, including cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney failure, or congestive heart failure.

Palliative Care Methods for Controlling Pain
The biggest problem with palliative care is that many people are referred for care too late. By starting this type of care early, and by using the right type of pain management, nearly all pain problems can be relieved or reduced.

Patient-Controlled Analgesia Pumps
Patient-controlled analgesia is a method of pain management that allows you to decide when you will get a dose of pain medication. You don’t need to wait for a nurse, and you can get smaller doses of pain medicine more frequently.

Take a ‘Vacation’ from Cancer
Many people with cancer benefit from taking a respite from their condition from time to time. This “vacation” from cancer can come in many forms.

Living with an Ostomy
When your body is unable to remove waste effectively, whether because of a disease or a medical procedure, you may need an ostomy. An ostomy is an opening that is created surgically somewhere on the body to help in the discharge of stool or urine.

The Experience of Grief
Grieving is a normal response to a loss. The loss can include the loss of your normal daily routine, the impact of the diagnosis on other family members, and the financial impact of the diagnosis.

Parental Cancer: Questions and Answers About Changes in Family Rhythms and Routines
Talking with your family about cancer and the emotions that arise is not a one-time discussion, but rather a series of talks that will continue through your treatment.

For Kids: When Someone You Love Has Cancer
If someone you love has cancer, you probably feel sad, angry, and confused. It's OK to feel this way. Cancer is a serious disease. Your loved one is sick. He or she will need to see the doctor a lot. It can help to learn more about cancer.

For Teens: What to Expect If Your Loved One Has Cancer
If you are curious about your loved one's treatment, you may want to ask if you can go with them to a clinic visit or any of the other appointments they may have. Your loved one may not want you to come, or he or she may be happy that you're interested.

Living Wills Offer Peace of Mind
A living will tells others how you want to be treated when it comes to life-sustaining measures.

Patient Rights
If you are unhappy with the home health or hospice care you are receiving, you should notify the provider's administrator, your state health department, and the Better Business Bureau.

Sexuality Issues for Women Being Treated for Cancer
Treatment for cancer can cause many changes that may affect your sexuality. It can also change the physical or emotional closeness you share with another person. Different treatments can cause different physical and psychological changes that can affect how you feel, look, and function. These changes may be temporary, or they may last a long time.

Sex and Cancer: Questions for Your Doctor
Questions to ask: How long will these changes last? What can I do about them? Is it OK to have sex during treatment?

Sexual Relationships and Testicular Cancer
Whether the changes you experience are short-term or long lasting, you can find ways to feel good about yourself and to be intimate with your partner. Remember to be patient and give yourself time. Be creative.

Prostate Cancer: Tips for Family Members
What can you do to help the man in your life with prostate cancer? Keep the lines of communication open.

Prostate Cancer: Erectile Dysfunction (ED) after Treatment
Erectile dysfunction is when a man is not able to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for his sexual needs. It's often a side effect of the treatments for prostate cancer. Some men have chronic, complete erectile dysfunction, called impotence. Others have partial or brief erections.

Impotence/Erectile Dysfunction
For most men, erectile dysfunction is caused by physical problems, usually related to the blood supply of the penis. Many advances have occurred in both diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Coping with Cancer Through Mind, Body, Spirit, and Emotions
You can find many ways to cope with stress. The goal of each approach, whether it be coping skills or relaxation techniques, is to bring you from a place of tension to a place of serenity - mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Can Optimism Make a Difference in Your Life?
A growing number of scientific studies indicate that optimistic people tend to live longer and have better physical and mental health than pessimistic people.

Palliative Care: Bringing Comfort
Palliative care focuses on improving a patient’s quality of life by improving the symptoms of his or her illness, such as pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping. It's used with a variety of ailments, including cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney failure, or congestive heart failure.

Cancer and Spirituality
People with cancer often tap into their spiritual side when battling the illness. This might include prayer, attending religious services, reading passages from a holy book, or simply expressing gratitude and love.

First My Illness...Now Job Discrimination
The two major laws that exist to ensure that anyone with a disability or anyone dealing with a health crisis is not discriminated against are the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Insurance Rights of Cancer Survivors
You have rights under federal and state laws to help you buy and keep coverage. But these rights are not comprehensive, and they may vary depending on where you live, what kind of coverage you have or seek, and other factors.

Sample Appeal Letter for Services Denied as 'Not a Covered Benefit'
You can use this letter as a model for an efficient, effective appeal letter. You may also need to enlist the help of a legal professional. Make sure your doctor knows any issues you have with insurance, as he or she may be able to help you.

Understanding the Provisions of Your Managed Care Plan
Managed care, by definition, is a comprehensive method of managing and coordinating medical care you receive. The goal of case management is to coordinate and facilitate access to medical care, while adhering to the guidelines and provisions of your health benefit plan.

Your Employment Rights as a Cancer Survivor
Although most employers treat cancer survivors fairly and legally, some employers—either through outdated personnel policies or an uninformed or misguided supervisor—erect unnecessary and sometimes illegal barriers to survivors' job opportunities.

Paying for Home Health and Hospice Care
Home healthcare services may be paid for directly by the patient, through insurance coverage, or through other public or private sources. Most hospice care programs are provided to the patient regardless of the patient's ability to pay.

The Experience of Grief
Grieving is a normal response to a loss. The loss can include the loss of your normal daily routine, the impact of the diagnosis on other family members, and the financial impact of the diagnosis.

Grief and Loss
Grief moves in and out of stages from disbelief and denial, to anger and guilt, to finding a source of comfort, to eventually adjusting to the loss.

Helpful Hints for Coping with the Holidays
Be kind to yourself. Be among people with whom you feel free to be yourself. Set some time apart for quiet remembrance.

When a Family Grieves
Learning about grief and how it affects your family can help you get through the difficult times together. It may even help your family grow stronger.

Providing Support for the Bereaved
Be available. Sometimes, people who are grieving do not want to talk or listen, nor do they want you to talk or listen. They simply want you to be there for them.