Your parent may be surrounded by caring people after a cancer diagnosis. Friends stop by to visit. The phone rings more often. Cards arrive in the mail. Even with all of that support, they may still feel a profound sense of loneliness while battling cancer.

As an adult child, it’s easy to wonder why. You’re making time to be there, other people are reaching out, and the medical team is providing excellent care. How can someone who is so loved still feel alone?

The answer isn’t found in the amount of support your parent receives. It’s found in the reality that cancer changes life in ways no one else can completely experience. Once you recognize that, you’ll better understand how to offer the comfort your parent truly needs.

No One Can Carry This for Them

One of the most … Read More »

After a cancer diagnosis, it can seem as though one word suddenly takes over every corner of life. It becomes the focus of conversations, fills the calendar with appointments, and influences decisions that never used to require much thought. Before long, you and your parent may find yourselves measuring life by what happened before the diagnosis of cancer and everything that has happened since.

As you settle into this new normal, you’ll likely discover that many of the biggest changes take place at home. Treatment understandably becomes a priority, but everyday life keeps moving forward. The garden still needs watering. The morning coffee still tastes best on the back patio. Your parent still wants to hear how the grandchildren are doing, ask about your week, or tell the same favorite family story that somehow never gets old.

Those moments … Read More »

Talking to a loved one with cancer often means learning how to listen, pause, and simply show up.

Talking to a loved one with cancer can stop you in your tracks. You may rehearse conversations in your head before a visit or hesitate before picking up the phone, unsure how to begin. Do you name what’s happening right away, or steer around it? Is humor helpful or inappropriate? What if they cry, or you do?

These facts about cancer may change the way you think about the disease.

Each year since 1999, we’ve achieved an increasing decline in cancer-related deaths, an encouraging trend that’s poised to continue as researchers learn more and more facts about cancer and its causes, and are able to develop new and better treatment methods. Yet cancer is still one of the leading causes of death in America, second only to heart disease – making it all the more crucial to continue to press forward with persistence to find a cure.

Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

Diet makes a difference. Although a diet rich in antioxidants can help prevent cell damage (and protect against cancer), a recent study showed that in some cases, cancers take advantage of a nutrient-rich diet, leading to accelerated metastasis. As a result, the recommendation … Read More »

Learn how snake venom could possible provide treatment for cancer patients.

Besides helping to manage our mouse and rodent population, it may be hard to think of anything beneficial about snakes – especially poisonous ones. Yet there may be a surprising silver lining to slithery serpents: innovative new treatments for cancer.

Just ask Steve MacKessy of the University of Northern Colorado. He’s been collecting and studying snake venom for decades, freeze-drying the venom to retain its properties. He still works with samples gathered as many as 40 years ago, sharing, “A lot of other protein drugs are inherently unstable, but venoms in particular are designed to be stable under bad conditions.”

Because the toxins in the venom bind very specifically to the receptors of its prey, they have the potential to target only the cancer cells themselves, unlike … Read More »

Sometimes, the best cancer care is knowing how to be a good friend.

Receiving a diagnosis of cancer is life-altering, and having a strong support system is crucial. When a friend or loved one is undergoing cancer care, you may feel at a loss as to how to provide the best support, without overstepping boundaries or causing the person any undue stress. These steps, courtesy of Hired Hands Homecare, the best elderly care Napa has to offer, are a great place to start.

Be present. Find out the best times to visit the person with cancer, and then simply be there, to listen, talk, and even laugh together when appropriate, which can bring a breath of fresh air to someone looking to maintain a sense of normalcy.
Bring a treat. The effects of chemotherapy and radiation can cause exhaustion, making it … Read More »

Breast cancer survivors experiencing hot flashes can find relief through this treatment option.

For many breast cancer survivors, the discomfort of recurring hot flashes – sometimes as often as multiple times each day – makes each day a struggle. And while there are various treatment options available, one surprising treatment option is beginning to rise in popularity: acupuncture.

Perhaps there’s nothing harder than walking beside a loved one battling cancer. One of the biggest challenges can be the troubling side effects experienced from treatments like chemotherapy, and you probably want nothing more than to relieve these symptoms and help your loved one recover. Although simply being there for your loved one is strong medicine in and of itself, there are other ways to help. Here are some common side effects and how you can help your loved one overcome them:

Skin Problems: Cancer patients often struggle with a number of treatment- and disease-related skin conditions. Loved ones can help by encouraging the use of sunscreen, helping to protect affected areas from trauma, and keeping skin clean and dry.

Hair Loss: If a cancer patient is concerned about the potential for hair loss, loved ones can help by assisting with the … Read More »

We all benefit from a healthy diet, but it’s especially important for those diagnosed with cancer. Good nutrition helps cancer patients regain strength, enabling them to endure chemotherapy treatments, defend against infections, eliminate breakdown of body tissue, and rebuild lost tissue. Good nutrition also helps patients cope with any cancer treatment side effects and may even be able to help them handle higher doses of certain drugs.

Nutrition recommendations for those with cancer may emphasize eating more higher calorie, higher protein foods. The doctor may recommend drinking more milk or eating foods like cheese and cooked eggs. Other suggestions might include increasing the use of sauces and gravies, or changing cooking methods to include more butter, margarine, or oil. Sometimes, nutrition recommendations for cancer patients suggest eating less of certain high-fiber foods which can aggravate problems such as diarrhea or a … Read More »

When someone you love has cancer, it’s natural to want to drop everything and help that person, but taking on the role of a caregiver is not without challenges. Cancer treatments and the resulting side effects can be especially difficult for both the patients themselves and their loved ones, and sometimes caregivers may feel overwhelmed.

As a caregiver, it’s crucial to know and accept your own limits, and to know that reaching those limits does not mean that you have failed. Having a support system in place is an important part of taking care of your loved one and yourself. Determine which tasks you will do yourself, and which ones you will need help with.

Try these tips, courtesy of Hired Hands Homecare, to help set yourself up for success as a caregiver:

Build your support system. Talk to friends, family members, members … Read More »