When you’re considering palliative care as part of your cancer treatment, consider these criteria for deciding whether it’s right for you. How severe is your illness? Palliative care addresses serious or chronic diseases, such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, and Alzheimer’s, among many other diseases. Do you need emotional, physical or spiritual support? Palliative care isn’t just for […]
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What is palliative care and what does it mean for me as a cancer patient?
Posted by | caregiving, treatmentAccording to experts at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, palliative care is “ease without curing.” Its focus is improving the quality of life for seriously ill patients, helping you to carry on with your daily life while you undergo treatment, and helping you tolerate medical treatments. Palliative care includes three key approaches: • pain […]
Does your income qualify for Social Security disability? What cancer patients need to know
Posted by | caregiving, treatment, UncategorizedSupplemental Security Income guidelines are set by the federal government for all 50 states, according to social workers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Income may include your wages, Social Security benefit payments, and pensions. It also includes resources like real estate, bank accounts, cash, stocks and bonds, and food and shelter. Your total monthly income, […]
Do you qualify for Social Security disability as a cancer patient? 5 tests
Posted by | caregiving, Issues & Perspectives, treatment, UncategorizedSocial Security pays benefits for a medical condition that is expected to last for at least a year, or may result in death. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) supports the aged, blind or disabled who have little or no income, providing cash for basics like food, clothing and shelter. According to social workers at the Johns Hopkins […]
What to ask for when you need spiritual help in your cancer journey
Posted by | treatment, UncategorizedYou need a companion on your cancer journey, and you can expect your spiritual emotions to change as your cancer changes, says Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Chaplain Rhonda Cooper. She offers these do’s and don’ts as a guide to what to ask for when you need spiritual help during your cancer treatment: Don’t apologize […]
Should all prostate cancers be treated?
Posted by | treatment“Prostate cancer mortality has been declining since prostate cancer screening started in 1995,” says William G. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. “There’s no question that it works. The problem is diagnosing these cancers in men who aren’t threatened by the disease and then pursuing treatment." "When […]
Who are the spiritual caregivers in your cancer journey?
Posted by | treatment“Cancer is a terrible turn in a person’s life, but it may bring out the best in their family and friends,” says Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Chaplain Rhonda Cooper. “The best gift of all is a strong shoulder to lean on, along with an understanding heart.” She notes that you may be able to […]
Natural Remedies Being Studied for Breast Cancer
Posted by | treatmentIn your Facebook feed, in conversations with friends, in a magazine article—the talk about natural remedies for preventing and treating breast cancer seems to pop up everywhere. But which natural products are actually being tested in the lab and in clinical trials, and what’s the evidence for their effectiveness? Saraswati Sukumar, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins oncology […]
What are the signs of spiritual distress for cancer patients?
Posted by | treatmentNo matter how you respond to your diagnosis, it’s not unusual for cancer patients to feel the impact of spiritual pain and distress, says Rhonda Cooper, an oncology chaplain at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore. Signs of spiritual distress for cancer patients may include: Guilt or regrets about things you have done […]
What can a cancer chaplain do for me as a cancer patient?
Posted by | treatment“Don’t be shy. It is not a sign of weakness to want a person of faith by your side at a time like this,” says Rhonda Cooper, an oncology chaplain at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore. If you are struggling to understand why you have cancer, are feeling a range of emotions […]