Articles & Stories

Did Your State Make the Grade?

By Lisa Morgan

Palliative care, also known as palliative medicine, is specialized  medical care that focuses on relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of serious illness. Appropriate at any age and at any stage of a serious illness, it is provided at the same time as all other treatments.

Palliative care is growing rapidly in the US as more and more people see the potential of palliative care to improve quality of care and quality of life. But getting palliative care is easier in some states than others.  … Read More

When Sarah, a mother of two young boys, was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer at age 34, she was shocked and overwhelmed, but also determined to find the best care possible. She fought for a cancer doctor who would support her at every turn, and found specialists to address the many consequences of treatment she experienced. She enlisted her own pharmacist to help her understand and adjust the numerous medicines to minimize side effects. She found a pain specialist and physical therapist to help with difficult symptoms and side effects of treatment, and other doctors to round out her care team. She was willing to do anything to remain active and be able to care for her sons. 

“I think any serious illness is going to make a patient assess their life, their values, and their purpose,” says Sarah. “Patients deserve the highest level of care available and I wasn’t going to settle. Not for me and not for my children.”  

One day, she was telling a friend about the hand-selected care team she assembled to give her an extra layer of support through the cancer journey.  

“That sounds a lot like palliative care,” the friend said.  This is Sarah’s story.  … Read More

By Andrew Esch, MD

When you are diagnosed with a serious illness, it’s normal for you and your family to have a lot of questions. You may need help understanding the illness, treatment options and what the future holds. You may have concerns that you don’t know how to put into words yet. It can be very hard to think clearly, and even the best doctors don’t always explain things well.  … Read More

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If you’re living with colorectal cancer, you know that pain, symptoms, and the side effects of treatments can take a toll on your quality of life. They can stop you from doing the things that are important to you. They can also lead to unwanted hospital stays. But palliative care can help.  … Read More

At a clinic in Dayton, Ohio—which provides chemotherapy treatment to cancer patients—there’s a man known by all as “Rock Man” Willie. When he’s there, Willie stops at each station to chat with people who could use a good distraction. He carries with him small hand-painted rocks he’s designed, and he hands them out to cheer up others who, like himself, are facing cancer and other serious illnesses. In return for these support rocks, Willie only asks for one thing: a smile. … Read More

By Andrew Esch, MD

If you are living with a serious illness that involves severe or persistent nerve pain, you know that it can take a toll on your quality of life. The pain can prevent you from everyday activities and doing things you enjoy. It can cause depression and anxiety. But it doesn’t have to be this way. While no single treatment works for everyone, there are ways to manage nerve pain to help get you back to living as fully as possible.
… Read More

“I wish I could have videotaped JoAnn in her first palliative care session so that she could look back and see how far she has come,” says Mark Curtis, an advanced practice registered nurse and palliative care specialist. Mark has been helping JoAnn—a woman in her sixties—deal with the symptoms and stress of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma since 2016. Today, JoAnn is well enough to help care for her grandchildren and take part in charity walks, but when she first arrived to meet with Mark, these goals seemed unobtainable. 

This is JoAnn’s palliative care story.  … Read More

By Andrew Esch, MD 

When living with lung cancer, you are not just living with the disease. You’re also living with symptoms and treatment side effects. Pain, shortness of breath, coughing, nausea, fatigue, and depression can all become unwelcome parts of your life. These symptoms and side effects can stop you from doing the things you enjoy with the people you love; they can make it difficult to keep up with the recommended course of treatment, and they can linger after treatment is over.  … Read More

By Andrew Esch, MD 

If you are caring for a loved one living with a serious illness, you are part of the largest workforce in the country. More than 43 million people – that’s almost one in seven Americans – are providing unpaid care for a chronically ill, disabled, or elderly family member or friend. Many of these caregivers are holding down a full-time job at the same time, and many are also raising children.  … Read More