Well, there is once again that time of the year. Our normally busy schedule can feel full with additional things to do, people to see and gifts to buy. When individuals are also struggling with a diagnosis of mesothelioma, it is easy to see how they might feel stressed and you just want to skip all this season.
There are many emotions that mesothelioma patients and their families feel at this time of year. While living with a serious illness and an unknown future, it's common to worry about future holidays and what they will be like. You may also feel the happiness or relief to have made it through this year and be looking forward to a brighter year.
You may feel exhausted dealing with your disease and its treatment, or you might be tired of your caregiving duties in the last month. It is also possible that you feel a little
the excitement of being able to visit or be visited by family and friends you have not seen in a while.
good stress and bad stress
Did you know that there is good stress and bad stress? Good stress is sometimes called "eustress" and occurs in situations that we would consider to be fun or positive. Psychologists say that examples of eustress include roller coasters, get a promotion at work, having a baby and enjoy the holiday season.
"Distress" is known as the bad stress because he feels ill at ease. We feel distressed when we lose a job, get a divorce, mourning a loss - or are diagnosed with mesothelioma. Distress occurs when our perceived obligations or responsibilities beyond our perceived ability to meet them.
Many times our distress is related to expectations of ourselves or how things should be. Most of us have expectations about our vacation that include how we should feel that we would be with, what we would do, etc. These expectations may come from our memories of previous holidays. They can come from what we see on television or movies on vacation. Our expectations may also be based on what our friends or family do to celebrate the holidays.
Sometimes these are unrealistic expectations of how the holiday should be leading us to feel distress. If we tend to be a perfectionist, then we can only be happy if our Christmas decorations look perfect, our gifts are impeccably packaged and everyone in the extended family and gets harmoniously.
We can also have unrealistic expectations about how much money we should spend for gifts or how many parties and events we should attend.
have realistic expectations
Have realistic expectations of ourselves and our loved ones during the holidays can lead us to think that good kind of stress
. Since the patients and their caregivers are already tired and stressed because they deal with mesothelioma, have realistic expectations during the holidays is even more important.
To create realistic expectations, it is useful to start by thinking back on memories of previous holidays.
- Write down the things you remember enjoying.
- Think holiday traditions and the food you brought a sense of peace, of belonging or comfort?
- Did you used to walk or drive around and see the lights and decorations?
- Have you songs with friends?
once you have made your gift list of positive holiday, take some of the most manageable and meaningful events you would like to do and let go of the rest of expectations.
another way to reduce your distress is asking for help or to make some changes to your usual holiday traditions. For example, if you've ever hosted (including shopping and cooking) a dinner party at your home, you can still do it. Just ask everyone to bring a dish. Enjoy all the deals to help you received from your diagnosis, and seek help shopping or decorating.
Take time for you
Besides stripping our list of holiday to do so that it is manageable, we can also make it a priority to schedule some time "me". Whether you are a mesothelioma patient or caregiver, it is important not to let our list of things to do to get these simple things we do regularly we keep the physical and emotional balance.
time to watch the Making football, meet a friend for coffee, get a haircut or reading may seem futile and unproductive, but these little bits of time we have for ourselves are same things that keep our batteries to recharge so that we can continue to manage and enjoy life.
holiday season need not stress you to the point of making you feel like the Grinch. If we ensure that our holiday expectations are both useful and feasible, then we can enjoy the "eustress" vacation and avoid the "distress".
Many people affected by mesothelioma say that as a result of their cancer experience, they have learned to let go of the unnecessary stress of the holidays and reconnect with people and traditions that are the most significant.
Questions and answers online support group in December
patients and caregivers were asked a number of questions in the latest online support group. Here, we include answers to some of them
Q:.? Can you explain palliative care and its benefits
A: Palliative care refers to treatment aimed at relieving symptoms, pain, stress or suffering caused by disease. Palliative care is routinely recommended for patients receiving treatment for chronic diseases, curable and incurable diseases. Key benefits include pain relief; reducing symptoms, side effects and stress; and improved quality of life
Q:.? Are most people with mesothelioma are surgery, or does it depend on when you are diagnosed
A: It depends on the stage of the cancer when the person is diagnosed. Few mesothelioma patients are diagnosed at an early stage, but those may be eligible for aggressive surgery.
Most mesothelioma patients are diagnosed at a late stage, at which point the cancer has spread too far for surgery to completely remove all cancer
Q:.? Are most mesothelioma patients experience more than one type of treatment
A: Many people with mesothelioma will use more than one treatment to manage the disease. This approach is called multimodal therapy. In addition, once the doctor believes the cancer does not respond to the current mode of treatment, they often change it
Q:.? What is matching the most common chemotherapy drug for mesothelioma
A: chemotherapy for mesothelioma Alimta often pairs with carboplatin or cisplatin. Alimta is usually combined with gemcitabine
Q :. Is there a real cure for mesothelioma, or are those called "survivors" actually living with cancer
? A: There is no cure for mesothelioma, and only a handful of spontaneous regression have been reported in history. Consequently, almost all long-term survivors of mesothelioma is living with cancer. Many forms of cancer are managed with a long-term treatment rather than ever be completely healed
Q :. Gene therapy is available for mesothelioma
A: Gene therapy for mesothelioma is currently only available through clinical trials. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved gene therapy for the treatment of any condition to date
. Q: Is it normal that patients with pleural mesothelioma experience pain in the chest and back that is hypersensitive to light touch
? A: Yes, and this could be an indication of nerve pain. Neuropathic pain can feel sharper and more intense than other forms of pain. This pain can be caused by pleural thickening, effusion or tumors that press against the nerves in the chest area. Medications are available to treat type of nerve pain that mesothelioma patient experience, so be descriptive with your doctor about what your pain feels like and where it hurts specifically. Some patients find relief with alternative treatments such as acupuncture
Q:.? Can you explain pleural effusion, and address what causes it to expand, if it causes pain, and if it can be tested for cancer
a: pleural effusion refers to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Fluid accumulation can occur when cancer cells block microscopic drainage sites in the pleura. The cancer cells themselves can release fluid which also contributes to excess pleural fluid. Some pleural effusions are asymptomatic, and some cause pain due to inflammation or placing pressure on nerves.
pleural effusions can be tested for cancer, but the results can not provide a definitive diagnosis of mesothelioma. A tissue biopsy is needed to confirm the presence of mesothelioma. Several treatments and medications are available to treat pleural effusions effectively.
This material was partitioned in 2013, mesothelioma support group online on 11 December.
do not miss the next online support group, Wednesday, January 8 register today!
If you have any follow-up questions on anything discussed here, you can call (855) 404-4592 to talk to Karen Selby, our nurse on staff.
