Podcasts

At age 37, April was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She endured 16 rounds of chemotherapy and 30 rounds of radiation, as well as a mastectomy. Her life centered on her two young daughters and the hair salon she ran and owned. The cancer and its treatment were devastating enough, but matters got worse when she had to give up her work at the salon because of symptoms and side effects. 

“Being a hairdresser was always something I wanted to be even as a kid. I was the girl putting curlers in my cat’s hair for practice. Not being able to work was really hard,” says April.

Her cancer doctor recognized that April could use an extra layer of support to deal with nausea and hot flashes, pain that made standing difficult for more than a few seconds at a time, and the emotional toll it was taking on her. The doctor referred April to a medical specialty to help her address these symptoms. The ultimate goal was to get her back to the job she loved.

This is April’s Palliative Care Story.  … Read More

As a speech language pathologist for young children, Ilene’s skills as an educator, careful listener and problem solver were keys to her career success. These factors also have played an important role for her through the many years she’s been treated for advanced ovarian cancer. It was a surprise diagnosis for the 68-year-old New Yorker that came in the fall of 2015 and changed her life dramatically.

She had a growing number of symptoms and side effects from treatments and surgery. When her cancer doctor referred Ilene to the palliative care team, Ilene didn’t know about the medical specialty. She had no idea how important it would be over the many years of her cancer journey, which included several recurrences. But ever-the-educator and problem solver, she went to the first appointment hoping for help to address many sources of discomfort.  … Read More

Rae Anne was at a concert with friends when she found a lump on the side her neck. Worried, she left and scheduled various doctor appointments to figure out what it could be, as she didn’t have any other symptoms. Over the course of a few weeks, the lump grew, and she was diagnosed with stage 4 head and neck cancer.

After several rounds of chemotherapy and 35 radiation treatments, Rae Anne was told by her oncology team that she needed to wait at home for 3 months until her next scan, in order to see if the treatment worked. While living with anxiety and side effects from treatment, Rae Anne received a phone call from the palliative care team at the hospital where she received treatment, to schedule an appointment. She had never heard of palliative care and didn’t know what to expect.  … Read More

When Dan and Meghan’s five-year-old son Ryan was born with a rare genetic disorder that causes severe developmental delays and many other complications—they didn’t know where to turn. Seizures, surgeries, and sleepless nights due to respiratory issues that required frequent hospital stays in the first six months of Ryan’s life took a toll on the young parents. 

“I spent so much time on the phone dealing with insurance companies and coordinating doctor’s appointments that I wasn’t able to spend quality time with my newborn,” says Meghan. 

As the number of symptoms and medical issues increased, along with traveling long distance to get to the closest hospital, Meghan and Dan began searching for extra support. Social media research led them to a specialty that helps children and their families deal with all aspects of a serious illness.

This is Ryan’s palliative care story.  … 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

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

“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

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

On good days, you can find Paul in his house intently focused on one of his woodworking projects. It’s hard work, but it’s a labor of love.

“I’m not the type to sit still. I’m at my happiest when I’m working with my hands and creating something new,” says Paul.

The fact that Paul is able to get up and do woodwork is something even he couldn’t have imagined five years ago when he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma—a rare cancerous tumor that grows in the bones or in the tissue around the bones. A tumor in his spine caused immense back pain, made worse by symptoms from chemotherapy, radiation, and several spinal surgeries. He couldn’t do even the smallest of tasks.

That’s when he was referred to palliative care. … Read More

For Marion, breast cancer and its treatment brought pain and depression that kept her from the things she loved doing. She was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer in 2014. Eventually, Marion’s oncologist referred her to palliative care.

Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized medical care for people living with serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing 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. Palliative care is provided by a specially-trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.

“Since I began seeing palliative care, I am much more aware of living purposefully, of spending my time doing things that mean something,” says Marion.  … Read More