“It’s so important to have conversations with patients when they do have a life-limiting illness. It is the only way to ensure that patients and their families are prepared and that their wishes regarding end-of-life care are honored.”
Caregiver Support
In celebration of Random Acts of Kindness Week, we asked our social media followers to share their ideas on easy ways to lift the spirits of a cancer patient.
Acupuncture, massage therapy, herbal products, aromatherapy, yoga and meditation are just a few examples of complementary therapies. Learn more at the first Wellness Wednesday on Jan. 17.
If spring is best greeted in a garden then I was fortunate to be in Buffalo in the spring, while my husband Roman was receiving his BMT at Roswell Park. We had arrived in mid-March (just as winter was ending) for Roman to be admitted. I was staying at the nearby Kevin Guesthouse.
For one day every June, more than 10,000 Western New Yorkers make their way to the University at Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute for The Ride For Roswell. Tom Cunningham and his family, friends and co-workers started riding in 2011 after Tom’s wife, Cheryl, was diagnosed with brain cancer.
One year ago, my husband, Roman, was hospitalized at Roswell Park in Buffalo, NY for a stem cell transplant. As Canadians, when we first learned of the opportunity to have BMT at Roswell Park, we had no idea of what lay ahead.
Cancer patients often experience pain, nausea, emotional distress, and other symptoms caused by the disease and/or the side effects of treatment. Their caregivers may become stressed and overwhelmed, too. When those issues grow beyond basic, expected side effects and are no longer under control, supportive and palliative care can help.
In January 2016, after Natalie Morley, age 4, was kicked in the face at daycare by another child, a lump appeared near her temple. Concerned because the lump wasn’t getting any smaller, Natalie’s mother, Ariel Riddick, took her for a series of doctor’s appointments.
Laughter Yoga enables so many to find the joy within themselves. This practice has numerous health benefits and brings people together to affect their bodies in a positive way.
The family and loved ones of someone diagnosed with cancer are often as affected by the illness as the patient. In many ways, caregivers are the unsung heroes of the cancer journey.
Cancer patients with supportive loved ones cope better emotionally than those who don’t have support, according to studies. Yet many patients have trouble asking for or accepting help.
While spending time on the Roswell Park campus, you may have noticed a sea of purple, blue and yellow. These colored garments each represent a specific type of RPCI volunteer and they are all here to lend you a hand!