Teachable Moments
My role as a social worker in the cancer center can be very humbling at times to say the least. Complete strangers often share their… Read More »Teachable Moments
Search Results for: cancer matters
5 Ways Social Workers Can Support You
Do you know your social worker? You should. We’ve listed 5 ways that social workers can help cancer survivors. Elisabeth Tamasi, clinical social worker at… Read More »5 Ways Social Workers Can Support You
Seize the Days
As an oncologist, I am privileged to care for people who are fighting cancer. I'm also fortunate to see the interesting and meaningful ways my patients bring joy and satisfaction into… Read More »Seize the Days
“My message to fellow health care professionals: Make the time …”
Consider this blog to be a "pep talk" of sorts to those of you who are working so hard on a regular basis to support and help those living with cancer. All great coaches and teachers lead by example. You owe it to your patients, family, and most importantly yourself to exercise and eat right.
We work in a busy environment where time often moves at the speed of light. Therefore, one may make the argument that there isn't enough time to dedicate to your health and well-being. I am here today to challenge you on that notion. There are 24 hours in a day and you CAN find 30 to 60 minutes to move. I know, because I do it. I am not going to mislead you, "making the time" can be difficult and the list of excuses are plenty. But, the benefits far exceed the excuses .
Read More »“My message to fellow health care professionals: Make the time …”
Students Offer Handmade Hope
This post is written by Shaun Morris, Public Relations Intern, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center
The Gerstell Academy varsity girls’ basketball team delivered 50 hand-painted Believe Mugs to cancer patients and family members in the Weinberg Building on January 5th.
This is the first year that the students have delivered the mugs, expanding on the work of cancer survivor Ivelisse Page, food service manager at Gerstell. She created and delivered similar hand-painted mugs to fellow patients during her stay. The students hope to continue the mug delivery as an annual event.
Fatigue
Five weeks into radiation, I decided that the hair on my legs had become so long that an intervention was necessary. Going somewhere to have my legs waxed was too overwhelming in my current state, and cutting myself while shaving seemed like a small risk, as I’d internalized my doctors’ advice about the compromised nature of my immune system. I enlisted my sister to help; although neither of us had ever done anything like this before, we decided the best thing would be an at-home waxing party…This very quickly became one of those situations where the task at hand seemed like a good idea in principle but turned out to be a very, very bad idea. The wax was either too hot or not hot enough, we put the strips on backwards, and we had only minimal results. Wax went everywhere; we made a huge mess; and ended up in nothing but our t-shirts in fits of hysterical laughter on the kitchen floor. We managed to sort-of passably wax a small piece of my shin before I had to throw in the towel and retreat to my room for a nap.
My fatigue hit an all time low towards the last week of treatment. During this time, I had one burst of energy—a precious state of mind and body that had felt on hiatus for many weeks—and I decided that I needed to go grocery shopping.
Medicare, The A,B,C,D’s…Let’s Talk D
You may be confused by the list of letters after the word Medicare. A, B, C, D... Who can keep them straight? There is a web page that can give the answers. It is www.medicare.gov.
Let's Talk D: Let me give you the important Medicare D news for 2011. I am going to start with the letter D and the reason is: the deadline to apply ends soon.
Know Thy Pathologist
When you are facing potentially life-changing treatment or surgery for cancer, you may want to have several opinions from the best surgeons, the most experienced oncologists, and top experts in radiation therapy, right? Well, there's another expert whose double-checking may be worth your while -- the pathologist.
Managing End-of-Life Care
This week, many media outlets have reported on findings from a recent study by researchers at Dartmouth College addressing the vast differences in end-of-life care for cancer patients in the U.S. The study addressed concerns that many patients may not receive appropriate end-of-life care, and this care depends heavily on where they are hospitalized.
Remembering Kevin Boitson
The following blog post was submitted by Brenda Boitson, a 26 year-old widow, writer, and speaker who resides in Lancaster, Pennyslvania. Her husband, Kevin, lost his battle to angiosarcoma at the age of 36 on October 28, 2008. Brenda detailed their journey through his disease at http://www.theboitsons.info and now continues to blog about widowhood at http://www.crazywidow.info. She advocates locally for sarcoma and grief awareness while working full time and attending school for business.
When I first walked through the doors of Johns Hopkins Hospital, one late night in August 2008, I was uncertain, fearful, and worried beyond belief. My husband of 1.5 years had arrived just a few minutes before me via emergency ambulance transport. He was breathing only thanks to life support, and we still had no answers on the undiagnosed cancerous tumor that was growing in his chest.