Palliative Care

Palliative care
Donna, this is off of the internet, wikipedia.com

Palliative care (from Latin palliare, to cloak) is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms, rather than striving to halt, delay, or reverse progression of the disease itself or provide a cure. The goal is to prevent and relieve suffering and to improve quality of life for people facing serious, complex illness. Non-hospice palliative care is not dependent on prognosis and is offered in conjunction with curative and all other appropriate forms of medical treatment. It should not be confused with hospice care which delivers palliative care to those at the end of life.
-p

PhillieG said:

Palliative care
Donna, this is off of the internet, wikipedia.com

Palliative care (from Latin palliare, to cloak) is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms, rather than striving to halt, delay, or reverse progression of the disease itself or provide a cure. The goal is to prevent and relieve suffering and to improve quality of life for people facing serious, complex illness. Non-hospice palliative care is not dependent on prognosis and is offered in conjunction with curative and all other appropriate forms of medical treatment. It should not be confused with hospice care which delivers palliative care to those at the end of life.
-p

On the money, Phil

On the money, Phil

Not Your Time...
Hi Donna

Phil has already nailed it and V has confirmed.

You've still got your treatments to do yet which should yield some results. The end is not near for you...my doc said it actually takes some time before one would pass - now this is not the case, but just letting you know, you are going to be here...and for awhile too.

Your mind and body have taken quite a lick the past month from your blockage issue and the resulting surgery on the scar tissue and the port removal and re-insertion...right now you feel you are at a low point, because your strength and enery are not as high as you would like to help you combat the illness. The mind can work for you or against you.

It just sounds like they are trying to get a team that can assist you in a more specialized way to ease some of your pain and to oversee your condition - you're not headed to a hospice.
See what they have to say first, then alot of your fears & questions should be answered.

I know words can sound "hollow" at times like these, but this is another step in your journey and you have many more chapters to write and tell us about. It's not your time to go anywhere now or in the future. Remember the fable "The Tortoise and the Hare?" The race is not always won by the swiftest - steady steps towards the finish line still yield the same victory!

You are a tough gal and one day will be using this as one of your war stories when you help inspire others on what you survived.

Rest your mind - when the mind is right, you can fight! This may be the biggest thing you can do is just rest, rest, and more rest. I'm sure you will see it in a different light.

Everybody here is praying for you...and it's tough now, but will be so glorious when you overcome the odds.

I'm going to pray for calm and peace to enter your life, so that you can be open to all of the possibilities that the doctors present to you. Life is very precious and you have much to live for - your daughters have the same beautiful spirit as their Mom!

I'm sorry you are in such a quandry right now, but with everybody's help and your fighting spirit, things will work themselves out - you will see.

My continued best to you
-Craig

Sundanceh said:

Not Your Time...
Hi Donna

Phil has already nailed it and V has confirmed.

You've still got your treatments to do yet which should yield some results. The end is not near for you...my doc said it actually takes some time before one would pass - now this is not the case, but just letting you know, you are going to be here...and for awhile too.

Your mind and body have taken quite a lick the past month from your blockage issue and the resulting surgery on the scar tissue and the port removal and re-insertion...right now you feel you are at a low point, because your strength and enery are not as high as you would like to help you combat the illness. The mind can work for you or against you.

It just sounds like they are trying to get a team that can assist you in a more specialized way to ease some of your pain and to oversee your condition - you're not headed to a hospice.
See what they have to say first, then alot of your fears & questions should be answered.

I know words can sound "hollow" at times like these, but this is another step in your journey and you have many more chapters to write and tell us about. It's not your time to go anywhere now or in the future. Remember the fable "The Tortoise and the Hare?" The race is not always won by the swiftest - steady steps towards the finish line still yield the same victory!

You are a tough gal and one day will be using this as one of your war stories when you help inspire others on what you survived.

Rest your mind - when the mind is right, you can fight! This may be the biggest thing you can do is just rest, rest, and more rest. I'm sure you will see it in a different light.

Everybody here is praying for you...and it's tough now, but will be so glorious when you overcome the odds.

I'm going to pray for calm and peace to enter your life, so that you can be open to all of the possibilities that the doctors present to you. Life is very precious and you have much to live for - your daughters have the same beautiful spirit as their Mom!

I'm sorry you are in such a quandry right now, but with everybody's help and your fighting spirit, things will work themselves out - you will see.

My continued best to you
-Craig

Another reassuring statement
RE: Palliative Care

Donna:

Here is a reassuring excerpt from a statement published on the MD Anderson website about palliative care. Their site specifically addresses the misconception that palliative care is only for "end of life" patients.

I've read your posts and followed your progress. You sound to me like one strong, spunky lady who has all the attributes to be a survivor.

Congratulations on your victories thus far. Savour your return home to your family.

Hatshepsut



"The World Health Organization defines palliative care as care which focuses on patients with life-threatening diseases. The goal of palliative care is to prevent and relieve the suffering of cancer patients and provide the best possible quality of life, regardless of age, cancer stage and treatment plans.

Many people believe that palliative care is only for patients whose cancer cannot be treated or who are close to the end of life. In fact, palliative care is most useful when it is started along with cancer treatment. This way it can help treat common symptoms caused by treatment and ensure the best quality of life. For this reason, palliative care is often referred to as supportive care or symptom control. If the patient's cancer cannot be treated, then the palliative care focus shifts to end-of-life care, which is often provided by a hospice.

Palliative care can include:

Treatment of pain and other physical symptoms, such as fatigue, nausea, constipation, poor sleep, loss of appetite and weight loss
Treatment of emotional symptoms, such as depression and anxiety
End of life care"

lisa42 said:

glad to hear about palliative care
Hi Donna,

I was glad to hear from Phil and the other who chimed in too about palliative care not only being for end of life, but being for treatment for pain, etc. I wasn't aware of that so I, too, am glad to know this before any of my doctors might mention it.
I suppose when you get over the fear of the term "palliative", you can be glad that you'll hopefully get some good pain relief.
Keep the chin up- as hard as it is (and I'm experiencing that difficulty myself), we MUST keep going and keep going with the positive attitude. You can do this, Donna. We're all pulling for you here & I'm praying for you.

Blessings,
Lisa

a bunch of stuff to know
You have a bunch of stuff going on in your body, oncologists do a good job when things go as planned or with mild set backs and deviations. When many different drugs and procedures are thrown into the mix you really need someone with the knowledge and experience in dealing with potentially dangerous interactions. The added Drs and caregivers may prove quite useful.

Shayenne said:

Thanks Friends....
....No, my liver scan didn't come up clean, I still don't even know my results to the 2nd CT results, since the pain started the day after my scan, and then I admitted myself to the hospital on July 4, I think Beth meant my first scans, when they showed that the chemo was killing was most of my cancer, which I hope it still is!

I only have 5 treatments left, and it seems that something always happens in-between these treatments, which I'm afraid is making me go off track

I still have fight in me, I don't feel like I'm dying, but I was thinking maybe this medicine team sees something, and I don't. It's just been very depressing lately, especially spending 3 weeks in the hospital.

But thanks, makes me feel a little better knowing it isn't the end

Hugssssssss!
~Donna

Keep fighting
Donna,

I'm sorry you've been getting so scared and worried. I'm sure I would, too, in your shoes. I'm just naturally a worrier. In your case, though, it really does sound like they're trying to help you manage your pain and get stronger.

Try to relax as much as possible, and you'll regain that fighting spirit.

*hugs*
Gail

Shayenne said:

Yeah...
...total NY'er here, and still have that horrible accent lol...

I am still trying to think positively and believing I will be here for a long time, I had a long talk with my hubby, well, trying to talk to him hurts, about what I want after I die, and he still hates or doesn't even want to hear me talking about death, my life is now moving on, this wwas a really bad setback for me, which made me realize, I may not have made that...it's scary, those trips to the hospital, it just makes me think "this is it, isn't it?" each time.

I Have to just start refocusing on my mind on other things, I am usually upbeat, and very positive, but this has thrown me for a loop, and have been getting on alittle on the down side, more scared now, but I will pull myself up from this hole as usual, and not stay this way, just taking deep breaths now...

And I will my darling friend, be here for awhile with you!I still have some hope left in me

Love ya and Huge Hugssssss!
~Donna

Noo Yawka? you got a problem wit dat?
Fuggedabout it! Ohio must be quite a shock, then.

Notice my scowling 5 year old face as my parents made me pray for the photo. Now, I cheerfully pray long and often, so you were part of those prayers. Don't make me come over there and scowl at you today, so buck up, Ms. Buckeye! You're surrounded by friends and loved ones and your friends on this board are pulling for you. Just keep Is. 40:31 in mind. Read it sometime. It's s brief phrase and it sure helped me get through the rough spots.

Nice having you back.
Mike