25 Tips for Cancer Caregivers

Caring for a loved one with a serious disease can be both a deeply rewarding and stressful experience. Use the tips and information below to help you through the process.  

1. Give yourself and your loved one time to adjust to the diagnosis.
2. A positive attitude is beneficial for you and your loved one.
3. Giving care to a loved one with cancer requires patience, flexibility, courage and a good sense of humor.
4. Good communication is essential to learning how best to work with your loved one.
5. Plan special times together away from the routine of treatment, such as a special evening out for dinner, a movie or play, etc..
6. Talk about the future. Hope is very important.
7. Being a caregiver can reveal hidden strengths, and enrich your family life
8. As a caregiver, you can choose to take the primary caregiver role or, depending on the level of support from family and friends, divide it between two or more persons.
9. Being a caregiver can affect you emotionally, physically and financially. For guidance, speak with your Cancer Center Social Worker.
10. To better understand you're loved one's diagnosis, treatment and progress, be an active participant during clinic visits.  See more below...

Tips for controlling nausea during chemo...

1. Do not allow yourself to become excessively hungry.
2. Eat small amounts and eat more often.
3. Eat foods that are easy on the stomach.

Foods that may be better tolerated:
Saltine crackers
Clear liquids or ice chips
Broth-based soups
Yogurt or sherbert
Smoothies
Gelatin
Warm cereal such as cream of Wheat or Oatmeal
Fruits and vegetables

Foods to avoid:
Hot and spicy foods
Greasy foods, fried foods or food high in fat content
Foods with strong odors
Very sweet or rich foods, candy, cookies cakes and desserts

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What Does Chemo Feel Like?

Lately a lot of people ask me what does chemo feel like. The day that you get treatment it does not feel too bad. Once they get your IV hooked up to your port the medicines are given intravenously. I sit in my recliner, with warm blankets and sometimes the massage therapist comes around and gives light shoulder and neck massages. You may feel a little tired and sometimes a little nausea but today for instance I don't feel anything.

Chemo is cumulative so it takes time for the medicine to work through your body. So as the days go by you start to feel it more and more. So the first day or two you may have mild nausea and fatigue which feels likes morning sickness. Then the third day and depending on how long your cycle of symptoms last you start to feel more severe symptoms such as bone pain, headaches, neuropathy (which I have in my feet / numbness, pain and tingling), constipation, mouth sores, flu-like symptoms, etc.

The first month I had two good weeks and two bad weeks, the second month I had three bad weeks and one good weeks. The third month I had one bad week and three good weeks. So it can change.

Back in 2009, I did chemo for six months. I was fine the first month or two and by the third month I felt totally toxic. I felt poisoned. There are no two cancers that are alike and no treatment plans that are alike. Everyone reacts differently to the drugs and it also depends on the strength of the medications. The medications and technology they use today do not cause symptoms as severe as they use to years ago.

I must admit the hardest part is watching the effects it has on my body. They say chemo ages you 10 years and it feels more like 20. For me my tongue turned black, my palms, and bottoms of my feet are turning black and my nail beds. I notice changes in my skin, etc. But one thing is for sure.... none of the effects I feel are worth my life. I am grateful to be here to help other women who have to face this same path or anyone else who just needs a little inspiration.

For my friends who have questions about cancer and chemo, I do not mind sharing, especially if it can help someone cope with cancer more easily. Hoping my transparency continues to encourage others.

xoxo

ADVANCED (METASTATIC) BREAST CANCER

A diagnosis of advanced breast cancer means that cancer cells have metastasized (spread) outside of the breast to other parts of the body (such as the bones or other organs) or to the lymph nodes that are not near the breast (such as those above the collarbone). If breast cancer spreads to a different part of the body, it is still regarded as breast cancer. (For example, if breast cancer spreads to the lungs, it is not lung cancer; it is still breast cancer.) Advanced or metastatic breast cancer is referred to as Stage IV breast cancer.

When breast cancer metastasizes or spreads, it usually goes to the bones, lungs and liver. Less commonly, it may also spread to the brain, spinal cord and eye.

What are some of the symptoms?
Metastatic breast cancer can be the initial diagnosis. It may also be a recurrence (return) of breast cancer following initial treatment. (Recurrence will be discussed in more detail later in this section.) Diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer is generally done using some combination of the following tests: bone scan, chest X-ray, CT scan, MRI scan or PET scan. Some symptoms of metastatic breast cancer may include:

• bone pain that does not go away;
• shortness of breath, chest pain, or cough;
• pain or discomfort under the right side of the ribcage that won’t go away;
• lack of appetite;
• unexplained weight loss;
• neurological pain or weakness and headaches;
• confusion;
• irregular gait.

Toxicity in our LIves

Emotional toxicity is as harmful to the body as physical pollutants. It is easy, and we are programmed very early, to react to problems with anger and negativity. It is much more of a challenge to find the humor in adversity, to love those who make life difficult for us. For the sake of one's well being we need to make a conscious effort to keep a positive outlook in life. Sometimes these are the most difficult changes of all – the internal ones, self-change.

Still Trusting and Believing.

This past weekend our Pastor spoke of the weapons that Satan tries to use against us, such as Devastation, Defeat, Delay, Doubt and Discouragement. He tries to make us feel that God doesn't care about us. Satan tries to steal our devotion from God and takes our failures and magnifies their significance in our lives. The big question Pastor asked was "How effective is Satan in your life?"

Most of you know my story of how I overcame both Epilepsy and Breast Cancer and am now fighting Liver Cancer. This time I am told it is terminal.

I am here to say that the Devil is a liar!!! I declare and decree that I am healed! I put a demand on God's governing power because I am blessed and nothing can reverse it! My faith and trust is in God's report not doctor's reports! For only He has the final say.

Don't let Satan knock the foundation from under your feet. 1Corinthians 10:13 tells us God is faithful! He will not tempt you beyond what you can bare. He will provide a way out.

We have to start praying and learning to use effective spiritual warfare and not become victims to our moods, attitudes and dispositions. Prayer makes it possible for us to have an intimate relationship with a God who hears, cares and acts.

Mark 11:24 tells us whatever you ask for in prayer, believe and you will receive. I am asking for and trusting God for a miraculous healing. I am looking forward to testimony I will give after this trial is said and done. I thank God for the peace He has instilled within my spirit. I am in such a calm space. I thank Him for not giving me a spirit of fear.

I believe this year will continue to be an amazing year for the Body of Christ as we being to have testimonies of God's supernatural intervention in all our lives that far surpasses anything that we have ever witnessed to this point.

Let's keep each other lifted!

Author, Epilepsy and Cancer Survivor Andrea Nugent Featured in Soon the Cure 2012 Campaign

Written by EEW Online Magazine

If you want to know what it means to come through a test with a powerful testimony, meet 43-year-old Epilepsy and Breast Cancer survivor, Andrea Nugent. Recently featured in the Miami Herald, CBS News and Women’s Health Magazine, her triumphant story is one of courage, and turning pain into purpose.

Andrea was diagnosed with Epilepsy at 27 and at 39, doctors found cancer in Andrea’s breast, ovary and lymphatic system. She was too sick to care for her then 2-year-old son (now 6), Zachary Nelson. But her large Caribbean family rallied around her and supported Andrea through her rough ordeal.

She knows everyone isn’t so fortunate. That’s why through Andrea Nugent’s nonprofit organization, B.i.o.n.i.c. Girls Inc. (Beauty is Optional: Newer Improved Changed), she provides free transportation, household cleaning, and more to breast cancer patients who need help so desperately.

To raise money to support her wonderful efforts, Andrea has published a children’s book, Mommy is Still Mommy: Cancer Can't Change That. “Breast cancer is not a death sentence,” Andrea Nugent told Women’s Health Magazine when asked the one thing she wants women to know.

She is living proof that the disease can become inspiration to fuel your life’s purpose. For more information about Andrea visit www.andreanugent.com

What Matters Most In Life?

Someone asked me today what did I find to be the most important and the least important about life, while battling cancer.  This was my reply: 

Well for me, I was a workaholic and always struggled with work life balance.   My son Zach was so young and he would come and want to play and I remember having to often say not right now mommy has to finish this audit. It took me being sick to really put a value on quality family time. What became most important to me was creating memories that my son will always have long after I am gone. 

I began recording our conversations so he can remember things we share and my voice. Material things, though never were really important to me became even less important. I lost everything, my health, job, house, car yet I still had everything in God, my family, friends. Most of all God's trust in that He knew that I would know what to do once He healed me. Share His Word and His Love!

I am affectionately known in my family as "The Energizer Bunny,"  and some people still think I am a workaholic but I definitely now know when to shut it down and put family first.  I am so passionate about what I'm doing now it doesn't feel like work any more. 

Funny how life's challenges can change your whole perspective in life.  What matters today, truly may not matter tomorrow and vice versa. Definitely don't sweat the small stuff.  Thanks SK Dixon for inspiring this post.  Peace and blessings.

Facing Your Own Mortality

Hearing the words "You have cancer," can suddenly move an abstract inevitability to a very real possible outcome in the blink of an eye.  For many women, such as myself, breast cancer is the first close brush with mortality.  Suddenly, one's sense of safety, security and optimism about life and the future is shaken. 

Uncertainty seems to dwell at the core of these feelings, and can persist for years to come.  Even when there is no recurrence, the fear persists, affecting us in odd ways long after treatment is over.  Many women live with the long lasting fear of breast cancer recurrence, the worry that awakens them in the middle of the night before a doctor's appointment, the misery of waiting for test results, fear of being diagnosed with metastatic disease, or when the friend she made during chemo dies of breast cancer.

When treatment ends, the sense of physical compromise that began with diagnosis can begin to resolve, at last.  Gradually, the nausea fades and the energy returns.  Hair begins to grow back and the surgical scars are beginning to fade.  Radiation burns are starting to heal. Doctors start to tell you that it's now time to focus on family and work and getting back to normal now.  If only it were that easy.  The truth is, many of us find ourselves profoundly changed by our diagnosis and struggling to come to terms with what has happened to us.

We still have questions that remain unanswered, and fears that keep us up at night.  Even after hair and fingernails grow back and reconstructive surgery has been completed, we may still be feeling emotionally fragile.  Our bodies our psyches are different than they were, and we need time, sometimes lots of time, to make sense of the changes and what they mean to us.

It is the treatments, not the disease that make you sick so naturally an end to treatment can feel like a big step down the road toward feeling well again.  Clearly, the end of treatment marks a transition not a closure. For many women, especially those with higher risks of recurrence, breast cancer remains an intimate and ongoing concern.  It confronts us in the mirror daily, affects how we feel in our bodies, appears in our dreams and ambushes us as we approach our follow up oncology visits especially before each PET scan. 

By far my strongest fear was, now that treatment was over, nothing stood between me and the threat of recurrence. With the end of treatment my family and friends found it to be a cause for celebration, while for me I had mixed feelings. 

When we are diagnosed we are suddenly faced with our own mortality, which we might not have given much thought to until then.  For  a while we are cocooned in a surreal world of doctors

Empowerment...the choice is yours

“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our disposition and NOT on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other about with us in our minds wherever we go.”

 – Martha Washington

I know, I know…we can say that this is a way of looking at life that is rooted too much in the way things used to be in the past – or we can say that whoever thinks this way does not know what we are going through.

You see, we can only live our own lives (as much as sometimes we may try to live other people’s as well) and because of this reality, we will never know how truly bad (or good) other people may have it. Remember what we project to the world is usually “the tip of the iceberg” – where the bulk of the reality is hidden from view.



So, when we look at this week’s empowering quote, we must forget about the rest of the world and think only of ourselves and our reality – because this is where we DO have the power of choice in how we look at things.



I will share this – it is way more difficult and a lot more work to always be looking at the positive side of things and be looking for and at opportunities – nonetheless, no one said that a life worth living was an easy life.



So, choose to be empowered this week and always be looking at the upside of everything that happens in your life. Sometimes it is very difficult to find the upside but we both know that in doing it this way, we will be able to discover our true strengths and because of it, the opportunities that others will miss … those opportunities that will allow us to leave a legacy; to be strong in navigating uncharted waters when others think it can’t be done; to be true to delivering on our responsibility to do the best we can to give the best of ourselves to this world … and in doing so achieve levels of success that we could never have imagined.

Make the choice for you, make the choice for your family, make the choice for the world … no matter who you want to make the choice for – just make the choice to be EMPOWERED and take the road less traveled for it will make all the difference.

Fear of recurrence in cancer survivors

Fear of recurrence is very common in cancer survivors. Though they may go years without any sign of disease, cancer survivors say the thought of recurrence is always with them. You might worry that every ache or pain is a sign of your cancer recurring. Eventually these fears will fade, though they may never go away completely.

Cope with your fear by being honest with yourself about your feelings. Try not to feel guilty about your feelings or ignore them in hopes that they'll go away. Ask your doctor about what you can do to reduce your chance of a cancer recurrence. Once you've done all you can to reduce that risk, acknowledge your fears. Take control of those fears and do what you can to influence your future health. Try to:

• Take care of your body. Focus on keeping yourself healthy. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fit exercise into your day. Go easy at first, but try to increase the intensity and amount of exercise you get as you recover. Get enough sleep so that you wake feeling refreshed. These actions may help your body recover from cancer treatment and also help put your mind at ease by giving you a greater sense of control over your life.

• Go to all of your follow-up appointments. You may fear the worst when it's time for your next follow-up appointment. Don't let that stop you from going. Use the time with your doctor to ask questions about any signs or symptoms that worry you. Write down your concerns and discuss them at your next appointment. Ask about your risk of recurrence and what signs and symptoms to watch for. Knowing more may help you feel more in control.

• Be open about your fears. Express your concerns to your friends, family, other cancer survivors, and your doctor or a counselor. If you're uncomfortable with the idea of discussing your fears, try recording your thoughts in a journal.

• Keep busy. Get out of the house and find activities that will take your mind off your fears.

Most cancer survivors report that the fear of recurrence fades with time. But certain events can trigger your fears. The feelings might be especially strong before follow-up visits to your doctor or the anniversary of your cancer diagnosis

Breast Cancer - Facing Breast Reconstruction

Those of us who need -- or choose -- a total or radical mastectomy will probably consider having that breast 'rebuilt' through breast reconstruction.

Breast reconstruction

Breast reconstruction can be done either during your surgery or at a future time, and they are generally made from your own tissues or by using implants filled with saline. (Because of the controversies over the potential dangers of silicone breast implants, the US Food and Drug Administration will only allow silicone breast implants to be used in clinical trials).

Whether to reconstruct and how is a decision each of us needs to make for ourselves, along with input from our support network, our oncologist and other medical professionals such as a plastic surgeon.

Share your experience!

If you've had a breast removed and have had -- or decided not to have -- reconstructive surgery, share your experience. Telling your story will help others when it comes time for them to make this important decision.

Managing Treatment Side Effects

Side effects, like treatment programs, vary from person to person. They can be unpleasant, but most often they are temporary, and most are treatable. Typical side effects for the most common cancer treatments include:

Surgery: During surgery, complications may include bleeding, organ damage and organ dysfunction. After surgery, side effects include pain and infection.

Radiation therapy: Fatigue, nausea and eating problems, mouth sores, localized hair loss in the area of radiation, skin irritation, and dryness.

Chemotherapy: Nausea and vomiting, hair and nail loss, fatigue, eating problems, mouth sores, infection, bleeding or easy bruising, low white blood cell count, and anemia (low red blood cell count).

Coping with Common Treatment Side Effects

• Fatigue
• Hair, Nail and Skin Issues
• Infections
• Lymphedema
• Mouth Sores
• Nausea and Vomiting, and Eating Problems
• Neuropathy
• Neutropenia
• Pain

As with all drug treatment, the risks must be weighed against the benefits. In most patients with cancer, the potentially toxic effects of chemotherapy are justified in order to get the cancer into remission. This is not always the case, and you should tell your doctor whether you’ve ever had any type of heart condition, including high blood pressure. You should also inform him/her about any radiation treatment to the chest area that you might have received in the past.

Fatigue

• To avoid fatigue, plan your days so you have time to rest, especially around treatment times. Save your energy for activities that are most important to you and ask for help with the rest.

Juggling Parenting and Chemotherapy

I thought raising children was pretty challenging enough, "Now you're telling me I have to fight for my life? and raise my child."  One of the hardest things I had to face was being a parent who's trying to get well. "In order for me to be a good mom I had to fight this other battle, but that battle was getting in the way of me being able to do the things I need to be a good mom.

Researchers estimated that 562,000 children are living with a parent who is in the early -- and most intense -- phases of cancer treatment. Cancer can be a very stressful experience for children in the household and often, the parent might not even know the extent of the strain that is put on the child. Past research has found that kids often don't speak up and say that they're struggling, trying not to overload or worry their parents. Even after loved ones go into remission, the fears about cancer can stay with a child.  My son was only 2 at the time I got diagnosed, he still has questions.  He is now 5 and asked me the other day if he has cancer-- that was really hard for me. I had to sit him down and explain how mommy is better now and reassure him that does not have cancer.

Though cancer is often thought of as a disease that strikes later in life, new research shows that 18 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients are parents to one or more minor children. Of these patients, nearly a third of them are caring for children under the age of six.  This means that 2.85 million children in the United States are living with a parent who is battling or has survived cancer.

Whether you are newly diagnosed, or facing a recurrance, parenting through your diagnosis can prove quite challenging.  It is important to open up healthy lines of communication with your young children  through your cancer experience.   Furthermore it is important to seek a strong support system, whether it be through family, friends, support groups, etc.  I highly recommend and encourage proactive preparation. As a single parent it was vital for me to put things in place before I actually started treatement and it made a big difference. I wanted to make sure my treatment would not disrupt my son's daily routine and keep his life as normal as possible. My family stepped up in a big way and took turns coming by to take care of my son so I could rest and focus on healing.

Intimacy After Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Many women find that breast cancer diagnosis and treatment seriously disrupt their sexual lives. First there are the most obvious issues—the physical changes, exhaustion, nausea and pain from treatment, self-image, empty energy reserves, and the emotional chaos from the diagnosis itself. But there are also many other issues that women and their partners may not even know they'll have to face.

Yet retaining intimacy in your relationship both during and after your breast cancer ordeal is critical to your overall recovery. And single women who want to become part of a relationship worry how breast cancer will affect their prospects, about how and when to tell those prospective lovers about their condition.

Reflections

Just sitting here reflecting on July 2009. Looking back at this picture, I was focused on losing weight before my 40th birhday and how I was going into 40 with a bang. Little did I know the bang would come in the form of a Stage III breast cancer diagnosis. This after picture was taken just before I got that news. Thanks to negligence of doctors I almost lost my life. Glory be to God that it was caught just in time. I cannot thank the team of wonderful doctors at Memorial Regional Hospital and the Breast Cancer Centers who gave me excellent care.  Their skilled team of doctors saved my life and gave me a second chance.  God is so able and His grace spared my life. I turned 42 last week and on September 14th last year I finished my last treatment after a year of chemo, bi-lateral masectomy and radiation. My life has come full circle to where I am not so focused on myself and my weight but now I am focused on serving others and sharing how God impacts my daily life. Once again I cannot thank all my prayer warriors enough for keeping me lifted up during that journey. I am forever changed!

Pink Carpet Launch Party & Fundraiser

Contact: 

Andrea Nugent -

954-376-9571

andrea@bionicgirls.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

“MIRROR OF HOPE” TO BE DISPLAYED AND CELEBRATED

AT B.I.O.N.IC. GIRLS, INC’S PINK CARPET FUNDRAISER HOSTED BY

MEMORIAL REGIONAL HOSPITAL

September 9, 2011 – Pembroke Pines, FL – Join B.i.o.n.i.c. Girls, Inc. as we admire local artist, Berne Born’s, infamous and stunning “Mirror of Hope.”  This special event will be hosted on Saturday October 1st, 2011 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., during our Pink Carpet Fundraiser.  The event will be hosted by Memorial Regional Hospital in their main auditorium, and will also feature light refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, jazz music, and a silent auction.  The event will also feature guest speakers Dr. Alejandra Perez (Director) and Dr. Carmen Calfa (Breast Oncologist) of the Memorial Breast Cancer Center.

“Our hope is to offer inspiration to people in the community whose lives have in any way been affected by cancer with this amazing work of art which was created for that very purpose,” said Andrea Nugent, B.i.o.n.i.c. Girls, Inc’s. (Founder and Survivor).

New Book - Mommy is Still Mommy: Cancer Can't Change That!

Filled with text and coloful illustrations on a level that children can relate to, this book is designed to be a conversation starter for you and your young children, as it cleverly tackles the affects of cancer treatment. Cancer no longer has to be a scary topic. This book will simplify the effects of cancer treatment and change the way it impacts your family.

Setting Goals to Transform your Tomorrow.

Set the goal now for tomorrow's benefit
============================

No matter what aspect of your life you are talking about, goal setting is a crucial factor throughout it all.  As you will see, each of the decisions you make as an entrepreneur will affect your overall goal of being successful with your business.  Yet, there is more to it than just that. 

You should also set goals because they can help you to make the right decisions throughout the process of getting to the level of success that is coming.  By investing the time and energy that you have in setting goals now, you help yourself for each decision it takes to reach the end result you are hoping for. In other words, if you set some overall goals today, you can help insure that your business will be there and be prosperous throughout the future of the business.  Goals now, count. While we all have the same goal of finding success in the future, we still need to set goals to help us to get to that point.  It doesn’t happen overnight!

Eliminating Stress

Stress is a misdemeanor waiting to happen. Stress will wear heavy on your nerves when it builds up, causing you to feel depressed. You may start to develop unnatural health issues that seem to have no justifiable cause for its development. This can lead to several problems. You can avoid many problems by taking action instead of letting stress get you down.

How can I learn to be stress free?

In order to be stress free you have to work at it, it will not come to you over night. It takes time to train your brain to deal with stress. Stress is very bad for you so if you can learn to be stress free you will be better off in the long run. There are many ways to train you brain to get rid of the stress.

What are some of the things I can do to train my brain to be stress free?

You have to decide what you may want to try first and see what will work for you.

Some people may like to read. Others like to just walk or even work out. Working out is a good way to get rid of stress while doing something healthy for your body.