Angela James has been working since she was 15 years old. No stranger to hard work, she thrived at her job and she was in the prime of her life. She worked her way up the corporate ladder to a rewarding position as an accountant. She built a brand new house and was engaged to be married.
But things are different for Angela now. Angela has been living with a multitude of autoimmune disorders, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and Raynaud’s phenomenon. … Read More
Palliative care is a medical specialty that focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
But many Americans still aren’t clear on what palliative care really is or how it can benefit them. Here are four things you may not know about palliative care and how it can help patients and families live well with serious illness: … Read More
In this episode of our Quality Life series, we hear from Mary Tibbats, caregiver to her 88 year-old mother Mary Nolan, who has diabetes. After a rehab visit at the hospital to improve her blood flow, she went into congestive heart failure. Mary Tibbats shares how palliative care not only helped coordinate her mother’s care and improve her quality of life, but provided support to Mary as she dealt with caregiver burnout. … Read More
Despite the highest per person spending on health care in the world, Americans report a rushed, fragmented and confusing experience with the health care system. Studies clearly show that symptoms are often under treated, and communication between physicians and patients about what is happening and what it means, is virtually nonexistent. Family caregivers struggle to make sense of their loved ones’ needs and how best to meet them. … Read More
Mary Tibbats knows firsthand what it’s like to care for an aging parent. She is the primary caregiver of Mary Nolan, her 88 year-old mother who has diabetes, but enjoyed an active lifestyle.
“Mom was 88 years old, totally and completely independent, except she didn’t drive any longer but she lived on her own,” Mary said. “She paid her own bills, ordered her own medication, sorted her medication every week, cooked her own food, went out and played Bingo, crocheted, did everything, totally independent, got up and around.” … Read More
If you have a serious illness, the bills for doctors, drugs and hospital visits can pile up quickly. For many families, money worries are sadly a big part of being sick in America.
Palliative care can help.
In this episode of our Quality Life series, we hear from Malcolm, a 51 year-old Philadelphia man whose life changed dramatically when he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. Malcolm shares how palliative care helped manage his pain and improved his quality of life. … Read More
The short answer is no. Depression is never normal, regardless of the state of your health. People who have a serious illness will likely have occasional sadness, insomnia, hopelessness or just a down day-but feeling this way over weeks and months should not be thought of as just another side-effect of a serious illness.
If you (or someone you love) are living with a serious illness, and you feel you are depressed, talk to your doctor about it. You may be unaware of how much it is affecting your quality of life. In most cases depression can be treated.
There is alot of research on depression and serious illness-and there is definitely a connection between the two. Studies have shown that people living with illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and diabetes are more likely to experience depression. Depression is also quite common after having a stroke. … Read More
Malcolm White loves the Philadelphia Eagles and socializing with his friends. But when the 51 year-old was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, he experienced so much pain that it became hard to focus on anything else.
“It started out gradually with, you know, pain and stiffness in the back, which gradually got worse where it became really hard to move around,” he explained. “It started early, at the beginning of this year and it got progressively worse to where I saw a doctor and had some X-rays and they ran some tests and that’s when I was diagnosed.” … Read More
Serious illness can dramatically change not just the life of patients, but the lives of their family members, as well. In 1993, Shari McClendon was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, which causes abnormally high blood pressure in her lungs. Once an active hiker and skier, Shari struggled as her physical symptoms worsened.
“We had a two-story house and I first started feeling very short of breath when I went up the stairs, and getting more tired, and not having as much energy as I had,” explained Shari. … Read More
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