Tag: Lymphedema isn’t just a side effect

How do I know if palliative care is right for me?
Palliative care may be right for you if you suffer from pain, stress or other symptoms due to a serious illness.  Illnesses may include cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and many more. You can have palliative care at any age and at any stage of your illness, and you can have it together with treatment meant to cure you.

What can I expect from palliative care?
You can expect relief from symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. Palliative care helps you carry on with your daily life. It improves your ability to go through medical treatments. It helps you better understand your condition and your choices for medical care. In short, you can expect the best possible quality of life.  … Read More

Lymphedema is often brushed off as a minor complication of life-saving treatment for cancer. But if you are living with it, you know that lymphedema can have a major impact on your quality of life – affecting both your physical and emotional well-being. Palliative care can help.

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Matt is about to start another abstract painting. With classic rock music blasting in the background, he holds the brush between his lips, steadies his neck and presses the brush against the canvas.

A few months ago, Matt, 38, wouldn’t have believed you if you told him he’d be painting again. Fourteen years ago, a severe car accident left him paralyzed from the upper chest down. While his diaphragm wasn’t paralyzed in the accident, it was weakened significantly, which has caused Matt to have breathing problems that have grown progressively worse over time. Those issues coupled with severe nerve pain and the emotional stress of dealing with the traumatic events of the accident have been a daily struggle.

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If you have, or someone you love has, a serious illness, then you know how draining nausea can be. It makes you tired, uncomfortable and upset. Palliative care can help. … Read More

If you or a loved one are living with a serious illness, you should know whether palliative care is right for you. The first step is typically through the doctor who treats your illness. But not all doctors are clear on the definition of palliative care. … Read More

If you have a serious illness, coping with pain can be a big part of your daily struggle. You are not alone. Many patients with serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease or kidney failure have pain that isn’t properly treated. Learn how palliative care can help. … Read More

What is most important to you? It’s easy to forget the things you love about life when you have a serious illness.

Think about it for a moment. Do you love live music or salsa dancing? Do you feel happiest reading bedtime stories to your grandson? Or is your happy place enjoying a simple meal at home with your family?

Doctors are often too busy fighting your illness to stop and ask you what you want out of life, but your answer to that question is very important. Palliative care can help you live a good life, the way you choose to live it. … Read More

If you have a serious illness, it’s very likely that you are suffering from fatigue. Fatigue is the feeling of being easily tired and unable to do everyday tasks. It is a feeling of general weakness. It is the feeling of being unable to focus and forgetting things. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms for patients with serious illness.  … Read More

If you are facing a serious illness and have asked for palliative care or were referred by your physician, you may be wondering what the first meeting will be like. Here are five things you can expect. … Read More