Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
Issue link: http://cancerfightersthrive.epubxp.com/i/197379
SURVIVORSHIP THE EMOTIONS OF CANCER It is normal for many survivors to feel anxious about the diagnosis, treatment and potential for recurrence. The following strategies can help patients cope with feelings of anxiety around cancer. • Be aware that you do not have control over some aspects of cancer. Accepting this thought is one way to ease your emotions. • Express your feelings of fear with a trusted friend or counselor. Being open about your feelings may help you feel less worried. • Observe your fearful thoughts but don't judge them. Practice letting them go. Some people picture their worries foating away or turn to a higher power for help in handling them. • Try to live in the present moment rather than worrying about the future or dwelling in the past. If there is a way you can fnd to be at peace within yourself, even for a few minutes a day, you are likely to feel less stressed. • Use your energy to focus on wellness and what you can do to stay as healthy as possible. • Think about ways you can relax, such as relaxation exercises, yoga or short meditations; and remove unneeded stressors from your life, if possible. • Exercise and be as active as you can; it will lift your spirits and help you feel more ft. marize a patient's treatment throughout the journey and are then available for all care providers who subsequently work with that patient. In 2006 the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Society for Medical Oncology released a consensus statement that reiterated the need for survivorship care planning as a critical aspect of highquality cancer care. In the years since, cancer care providers have been working to create survivorship programs that refect this directive to provide consistent and continuous care for patients. These programs address such issues as screening and surveillance after active treatment, managing ongoing side effects of treatment and offering support for psychosocial issues. In the various versions of these programs that are being developed, the focus is on providing patients with planning and resources that will allow them to feel fully supported at all points throughout their care. A Survivorship Care Program in Action At Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), patients beneft from a cfthrive.com survivorship program that addresses their needs from the moment of diagnosis. "Survivorship care is in every corner of our facility, and it continues when patients go back home," says Tracy Whitworth, RN, CHPN, OCN, Survivorship Support Care Coordinator at CTCA® in Goodyear, Arizona. "Our goal is to not just get patients through treatment but also help them assimilate back into life—to thrive back into life," she says. Whitworth says that the need for support begins right away, and it doesn't end when treatment is fnished: "A cancer diagnosis can turn a patient's world upside down. It can feel chaotic, especially at the time of diagnosis. That's why it's so important for each patient to have a support system and resources as they go through treatment and afterward." The commitment to seeing patients receive comprehensive support at CTCA is refected in the Patient Empowered Care® model, wherein each patient is assigned a care team that includes an oncologist, a care manager, a mind-body therapist, a nutritionist and rehabilitation therapists. IMPORTANT HEALTH RECORDS FOR EVERY SURVIVOR It is vital that patients have records of their treatment to pass along to their primary care provider and any future providers. Here are some of the important health records to keep: • Date of diagnosis • Cancer type • Pathology reports • Details of treatment, including surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy treatments (including the names of drugs and the dosages) and any other treatments • Any ongoing treatments, including those to prevent recurrence • Key lab reports, X-rays, computed tomography scans and magnetic resonance imaging studies • Contact information for all the health-care professionals involved in treatment and follow-up care FOR A FREE PRINT SUBSCRIPTION GO TO CFTHRIVE.COM winter 2013 | cancer fighters thrive 17