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
If you care for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, and are looking for ways to help them cope with loss in memory and brain function, you’ll want to know about a program called Music & Memory. … Read More
By Andrew Esch, MD
Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease for patients and their families, with a heavy burden of pain and other symptoms. If you are living with pancreatic cancer, you don’t have to walk this road alone. Palliative care can help. … Read More
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