psycho-oncology services
Comments
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No, Profbee, don't feel weird, I asked. What a way to start chemo-glad your little boy is ok. What if she (the psych) met you before you started chemo, just to talk about what to expect and if there's ever any way she could help...
Janetanned-psych professional is supposed to be part of the team, according to NCCN and other professional guidelines. Pts undergoing chemo/rads are supposed to be screened for distress. But there is so much stigma attached to psychiatry that no one knows the best way to include psych.
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Hi, I haven't read all the posts, but want to let you know my experience.
I was just "off my tracks" from the middle of radiation until a few months later. I really was asking everywhere for help, but couldn't find it. None of my oncology providers felt comfortable dealing with my degree of distress, and I don't blame them, but they also could not offer referral to a psych provider - a therapist, a psychiatrist, I didn't care, just someone - and I had to figure it out on my own which was really hard because I didn't have a lot of energy to negotiate incorrect lists of from my insurance company. I did find a great support group, but a support group can't do everything, it can't deal with the severity of stuff I was experiencing.
My dream would be treatment from a team that met together and included a psychology/psychiatry professional who really had done some research into 1) what happens when an otherwise healthy person is suddenly given a potentiall-fatal diagnosis requring horrific treatment and 2) the common life-altering physical results that we have to learn to live wtih. But I don't see that ever happening where I live. I would have appreciated a provider I could access within the cancer center who wouldn't necessarily meet with my oncologist but would at least see a lot of cancer patients and not have to be dealing with all the other crap social workers have to deal with. Or simply a current list of providers in my community with some experience working with cancer patients, and what insurance they took, or if they didn't take insurance what they charge.
If I were maintaining that list, I'd keep an email list and send those providers updates on CME (if it's out there) about psych issues of cancer patients. I'd ask them to update their info periodically if they wanted to continue to receive my referrals.
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Thanks, asmd. I suppose that would have been nice to have someone I know I could call later, but I do think that even more crucial than the starting treatment, an offer during that transition period...as treatment is ending and looking toward the even more unknown, ready to hear more about the future than just putting one foot in front of the other...maybe then would be a good time to meet and talk about what to expect and offer help. I would be much more open now than I would have been at the beginning.
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I am in total agreement for this. I am so new to all of this. I live in Ohio and I have not found any organization that can help me deal with the emotional roller coaster I am on right now.
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Profbee- I agree, ending tx was hardest time for me, too. I read Churchill all through chemo, had great supportive friends and family, and in a strange way, chemo was organizing-I had something concrete to fight against. Then it was over, and it was now what-I look like hell, I feel exhausted and not at all like myself, can't string a sentence together, and everyone around me is congratulating me on finishing. Difficult time.
Outfield-where do you live? It shouldn't be so hard to get help. And the idea is, and it's not my idea, that your team notices your distress and gets you the appropriate referrals. breast ca is wretched enough, why suffer any more emotional pain than is necessary?
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Christie- Is there a nurse navigator at the hospital? Usually they are great help during the early days. Emotional roller coaster is what we all go through early on and it gets better.
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Asmd - I would love a professional to talk to on a regular basis. I met with a social worker at the hospital where I had surgery shortly after my dx, but it was obvious that she couldn't understand why I was so upset and could barely talk about my situation without crying. So, I eventually looked into a physical support group at a closer location to my house, and I continue to attend it, but it's not a good fit for me for various reasons. Now that I've had a recurrance, I'm really finding that support group inadequate. For awhile, the cancer center that offers the support group had a cancer navigator on staff and she was very helpful. She had all these plans for trying to meet the needs of those of us with mets, but she recently left to take another job. So, I consider trying to get into counseling, but the thought of having to call around to find someone who takes my insurance, is compatable with me, and understands what my concerns are seems daunting. It would be wonderful to have a psychologist who's had cancer so they have an understanding of the issues we deal with. I definitely think there is a need.
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Like SheChirple, I am a Kaiser patient (Santa Clara) and have similar services. Right after my bmx they asked if I wanted to meet with their psychiatrist who specializes in oncology. He sees patients in the rads oncology center. I figured why not? After we talked for a bit we decided, together, that Effexor might be helpful and it has been. My MO also gave me Ativan to take as needed. They also have a weekly support group which I hope to get to soon. I have been very pleased by their support, even when I decided I didn't "click" with my first MO. My RO encouraged me to make a change and recommended someone he thought would be a better fit. He was right! It was wonderful to know that they recognized the importance of a good fit between patient and doctor.
Caryn -
The breast cancer center I went to claims to offer nurse navigator and cancer patient support service counselors. My BS gave me contact info for the nurse navigator and suggested I call her. I did. The nurse navigator was not able to answer the questions that I had at that time, instead she referred me to a cancer support service counselor. The nurse navigator told me she would call me and stay in touch, well that never happened. I never had any further contact with the nurse navigator. The support service counselor was more frustrating than helpful to deal with. She always complained about how busy and over worked she was. She was never in a good mood or happy. She flat out told me she was to busy to remember to call me...that I would have to call her or e-mail her for us to stay in touch. On several occasions I tried to get her assistance with issues and it was nothing but frustrating. It just wasn't worth it, I did NOT find her a valuable part of my recovery. At one point she suggested that I consider counselling...I didn't trust her and there was NO WAY I was going to tell her anything personal about how I was feeling or that I was falling apart!
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"does anyone feel they'd be stigmatized by meeting with a psychiatrist soon after diagnosis?"
I don't know if stigmatized is the word I'd use, but I would not like it if *I* were contacted by a mental health professional after diagnosis. I'd rather have the name and number of someone for *me* to contact if I wanted to.
I can very much relate to what profbee said. "having a routine evaluation or something by a psychiatrist would make me feel that everyone then expected me to lose my mind on top of everything else."
If I'd been told I should have a "routine [psych] evaluation" after my diagnosis, there would have been blood on the floor. And it wouldn't have been mine.
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I had great support from Suburban Hospital 's cancer program and the doctors on my treatment team. The nurse navigator was great at helping me understand what was going on and working out some issues. She helped me find a new PCP -- the doctor I had seen for 20 years had closed her office and moved to the southwest at the end of the previous year -- the new doctor I had started to see hadn't read my biopsy report when I went in for my pre-op physical. I decided not to ever go back there. The nurse navigator understood my feelings and went through her files to identify PCPs that other patients had felt dealt well with their BC.
I had been given the nurse navigator's number when I met the BS and given my "cancer book" - a three-ring binder with support information and room for medical records. The BS told me that I could ask the the nurse navigator any question and that she could help me coordinate and schedule items or help me break up with a doctor if I needed to change.
The nurse navigator helped me with deciding on what day to schedule chemo so it would be least disruptive to my decision to work through chemo. She visited me during my first chemo.
When I went on my initial visits the MO told me that the RO was very good at mitigating side effects and the RO told me that the MO was very good at mitigating side effects. I was one of those patients whose treatment plan changed when the final pathology came in -- from rads but no chemo to 6 x TAC and radiation to the axillary and supraclavical nodes in addition to the breast. All three doctors spent time explaining why things were changing and making sure I understood. For each of the treatments I was given written descriptions of what to expect and told to report side effects.
I have to say the staff at each of the offices was very attentive and alway asked how I was doing emotionally and if I had any side effects. The doctors communicated with each other. When went to see the MO after radiation, she knew about the consult I had with the dietician during day at the radiation center about some appetite issues.
During chemo, when I was scheduling an appointment I mentioned I was feeling a little overwhelmed, they gave me a card for an oncolgy-LCSW who a number of their patients had seen.
The MO and RO offices had flyers for various programs and events including those sponsored by the hospital's cancer program -- these included low cost classes in yoga, tai chi, healing touch and journaling. I participated in a support group for women transitioning out of active cancer care that was facilitated by an oncology LCSW.
As a side note, the PCP who moved away has moved back and I've started seeing her again. She and my MO have already started talking to each other.
I don't know if the support I got is based on the hospital's training or just luck in the providers I ended up seeing. I wish every one go tthis level of support.
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I wanted onco-psych help becasue I KNOW that my cancer was related to ongoing stress with my disfunctional adult daughter. Sometimes, you don't know why cancer. Sometimes you know exactly why.
When it was "just cancer stress," the onco-psych department was ready and willing to help, but when I told them it was about the stress related daughter problem, they said, that was out of their "area" and could not/would not help me.
(BTW, regular therapy was not covered by my insurance either.)
I have read that a HUGE percentage of cancers and other illnesses are stress/depression/grief/ and other emotional trauma related. And yet, no one at all in the cancer groups wants to go there.
All my husband and I knew, was that I had to end that ongoing stress or getting rid of the cancer was just a symptom treatment when we needed to treat the cause. And in my case, it was absolutely identifiable as my daughter related ongoing stress.
It was very disheartening for me to have the courage and need to ask for the help I needed and then get turned down.
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As far as psych services are concerned, it sounds to me like Kaiser is ideal.
I'd just as soon not have my blood spilled, so I'll drop the idea of routine psych eval. I do think the idea of an available psych-if one wanted to see her-who has had bilat mx, mult carcinomas, genetic bad luck and chemo-is esp valuable.
The psycho-oncology literature shows for breast ca 30-35% levels of significant distress, i.e. enough to disrupt treatment. The idea is to screen women before they get to this point, and intervene, whether it's with social services, pastoral counseling or psych.
I'd be giving up a fee for service psych practice, where I make a great living, taking a big salary cut, a labor of love. But, as I've gone through my own cancer journey, esp reading about other women on this site, I've felt there is a need for quality psych care, and it's pathetic that only wealthy people have access.
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trubff-You know, my experience in medicine over the years is that emotion/stress is thought to be the cause of illness up to the point they find the real culprit. When I was in training, gastric ulcers were related to stress, until they discovered the bacteria which caused the ulcers. So far, there are no studies to support the idea that stress causes cancer. And treating cancer related stress, so far, doesn't appear to change survival, but it makes a big difference in quality of life.
Dysfunctional children, adult or not, are a major stressor. IMO, hard to make a case that they cause cancer.
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I met the nurse navigator at my 1 month follow-up appt following my BMX. She sat thru my whole appt but I never heard from her again & was never given a way to contact her or even told how/what she might be able to help me with. It was a time of disagreement between my team members regarding how I should be treated(ANLD?Chemo?RADs?). If I fell off the planet, no one would notice. They all thought someone else was working with me. I think someone should have stepped forward & helped me get my team to talk to one another & get the ball rolling one way or another.
On the other hand, when I went to RADs(3months later), I was told I'd be talking to a social worker. It was at that moment that it really sunk in. I was a cancer patient. Mostly she gave me info on free services-transportation, babysitting, LE classes, nutrition counselling. None of which I needed.
For some reason in my area, there is a support group for just about every kind of cancer except breast cancer.
I think I could use counselling now more than than when I was initially diagnosed. Not sure my ramblings here help. I blame it on Tamoxifen
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coraleliz- it's all helpful.it's surprising that there aren't breast cancer support groups in your area. breast ca pts have been most vocal and really got support groups going.
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asmd....I didn't need MH support at time of Dx or Tx.....I went to one in person in support group and never went back as the facilitator and group members just didn't meet my needs....I had support of family, friends and community....I seemed to be on autopilot during the whole thing...I moved fairly quickly from Dx through Tx....It was after Tx that things got difficult expecially as my job situation became toxic....I sought out MH support...Ph.D. psychologist and psychiatrist....I saw the original team for 2+ years (or was it 3) and don't feel I got where I needed to be...then tried a different Ph.D. and psychiatrist and I'm back to square zero!!!! I'm not who I was before Dx....and have issues that I need to get resolved...but I've almost given up on ever getting any resolution...I am 5 years 10+ months out from Dx.....I'd be happy to share more with you in a pm, but not sure that is really professional....Oh yeah...there were no patient navigators when I was DX....that is something that interests me career wise, though I do not want to work full time.....I'm at a point in my career that I enjoy my 3 day/week schedule to have time for me...time to volunteer with Komen, get together with my gf, go visit my parents and children....I worked full-time for 31 years.....All the best to you...keep us posted on what you do.....Karen
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I agree that there is no scientific way to make a case that dysfunctional children or stress of any kind is indeed the cause of disease, but I believe, none-the-less, that long, continuous, intense stress does lower the immune system and creates a physical-emotional-mental climate that can put an otherwise healthy person at risk. I do see the body-mind connection of things. I think it would be helpful if healers all did too. Not because there aren't other or even many reasons why some people get sick, but because we are whole people.
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Also, treating stress -if is is indeed a factor of distress in someone's life who has had cnacer- maybe maybe maybe will keep cancer from recurring.
And yes, ulcers are now known to come from bacteria. But high blood pressure...
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"does anyone feel they'd be stigmatized"
That made me laugh. Once DXed, I was freaking out just a tad, specifically waking at 3AM with anxiety attacks and thus not sleeping well. A friend suggested xanax. I called an old friend, who is a psych, and asked him for a script. He gave me one, but insisted on seeing me, responsible person that he is.
I went to see him, and even that one session was actually helpful on some level. When I told my mom, her reaction was "OMG! You saw a psych! You are THAT bad? I was scared too [she had cancer 5 years ago] but not to the point that I needed a psych!" I fet like telling her that this last point could easily be debated (she was a total basketcase and still is to some extent). This is a woman who goes to talk therapy and whose son is mentally ill, so she has some experience. Still ...
However, I think this is actually a reason to make a psych just one more member of the team.
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Morning again! It's so very clear that some of us want/need some sort of intervention along this road to "recovery"....Not really at the beginning....mainly because we don't know what we are in for, or how we will handle "it."
And no matter what we believe caused us to get here, we are all caught up in this, and just trying to get one foot in front of the other, without going just plain nuts!
Boards like this really help, just to reassure us, because someone has been there & "done that." These women need someone who will listen, and believe that what they say, even if it isn't actually as bad as they think. An available psych could give them so much personal support....And those usually aren't found within their "team" of caretakers.
Like Karen...she got lost in the shuffle... And maybe all things aren't related to cancer, but it changed our lives so much, that's it's easy to back to "before" it all happened.
Sometimes just talking to a "friend" helps our heart... Like talking on these threads. But I still think a Psychiatrist would be more beneficial during and after treatment.... One that is available through our "team."
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the people on these boards may be a select grp of ca pts-determined to find help, to search out the internet for support and information...so a resilient group who tend to do well emotionally. In spite of that, many still don't receive the personal help they need. Or their docs aren't talking to each other. From my point of view, there is so much distress associated with a cancer dx-the insomnia, worry, all normal, but easily treatable-what's the point of suffering? This is the normal, expected distress of a possibly life threatening dx.
Then there are the 30% with levels of distress so high they may drop out of treatment, become suicidal etc-this is who most needs psych intervention. The idea behind screening is to identify them at the earliest stages and intervene. For the 2/3 who will endure, screening may seem like a kind of violation, maybe. But I've seen women so blindsided by the dx, they go all numb, don't realize they can get second opinions, don't know how to advocate for themselves-these, IMO, are the more at risk population. One thing about everyone here-is they are fierce advocates for themselves and their sisters.
And I totally agree with Karen, it's after tx is over that may be most challenging time. It was for me. It's like going to war, in the heat of battle, you are fighting, scared, but just trying to survive-it brings about a certain focus. Home from war, most people are changed forever. For ca surviviors, it can become a life with more meaning and preciousness. So, Karen, don't give up on getting help. Call different therapists and talk on the phone for 5 minutes and see if you click. If they are unwilling to do this, you don't want them as your therapist.
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I think that there are MANY things that could be improved in dealing with breast cancer patients.
- Most of us go from a normal, relatively healthy life (usually BC doesn't hurt, or if it does, it's not a terrible pain) to an abrupt change to a life full of pain, fatigue, all kinds of side effects, change of personal image, etc. This should be addressed in the beginning, and in a careful professional way - not like my PcP at the time who, when calling me to give me the results of the stereotactic biopsy and scheduling me to see a (general) surgeon in a day I told him I couldn't miss work, replied "oh you will miss work a lot from now on".
- As one of the previous posters said, the doctors seem to be focused on getting rid of the cancer and diminishing the risk of recurrence. Anything else is practically non-existant for them and not worth their time. I've had to deal with a BS who almost threw a fit when he heard that I had to drop Arimidex for a month due to severe joint pains (including in my HANDS, making me unable to do anything) before switching to Aromasin. Same BS who, when I developed axillary web cording, proceeded to "break" the cording right there and then with no warning, and was practically furious when I started screaming and almost punched him, it was so painful.Note: the BS I am talking about is a wonderful doctor, and a top-notch specialist in breast surgical oncology. Wonderful but lacking understanding for pain it seems. And he wasn't the only one.
- Again, quality of life. It feels like we're bombarded with many side effects that might not seem that severe for an outsider, but for us, they pile up and make a very poor QOL. And when it comes to pain/SE, yes, the doctors do lots of tests to figure out where that comes from, and when they find out, they're thrilled and act like THAT was the main purpose, to find out where the pain/SE comes from, and that's the end of the line - not finding out so the pain/SE can be addressed so we can have a normal life.
- And last but not least - I think that it should be made an enforceable norm (if you say that is the standard of care - I've never seen it done in 2 years of my journey and I've been treated to one of the best facilities in our state) - to have psychological help THROUGHOUT this journey, the same as we have doctors examining us and doing follow-ups for the body, it should be done the same for the mind. MANDATORY. Yes, you will say, but there are so many support groups, local and online. For one, they are not PROFESSIONAL support. For two, I think you will agree with me that when you are diagnosed and going through treatment you are so scared and tired and YOU are the one who has to get up off their butt and look for support - it's not offered to you anywhere. If it would be offered and going hand-in-hand with the treatment, you wouldn't have over 100k members on this website alone. Dr. Weiss had so much success with breastcancer.org because she filled a void. A void that unfortunately, still exists.
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I completely agree with you. I do think the changes breast cancer will bring should be acknowledged early on, gently. Overwhelming a woman won't help either. But what I'm hearing from the majority of people who have responded is they don't want to see a psychiatrist early on. If it were billed as breast cancer support services, and the support person happened to be a psychiatrist and cancer survivor, maybe more palatable. Nurse navigators can fill the role as well, but not every hosp has them, it sounds like.
By standard of care, I mean that various bodies (NCCN, institute of medicine, am college of surgeons-or it might be the other major surgical society, not sure, and ASCO) have endorsed the idea that screening for distress and psychosocial care be an integral part of care of all cancer pts. However, these are recommendations-they have no teeth. In Canada, it is the law. And, there, distress is considered the 6th vital sign after pulse bp, temp, resp and pain. But even in Canada, the health system devotes more resources to cleaning services than mental health.
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Oh, absolutely. That is why I stressed the MANDATORY, as in health insurance - covered, all cancer centers have to provide this service. I think it should be considered nuts to NOT have this service, not to have it. I honestly can't understand why people would see going to see a shrink because they are depressed due to a chemical imbalance or just because they feel blah as normal, and they would see as unnatural and threatening to go see a shrink while going through what we are going - but then that's me. People who have MS or fibro consider it normal to have medical help for their mental health, but people who go through cancer don't?
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asmd....for now, I'm tired of docs...I thought I had found the right combination this last time around....maybe its me who isn't being clear in what I need.....meds don't seem to have worked....I sought out this last PH.D. because she did EMDR therapy, but it was not successful for me....and the type of therapy she does...talk therapy...more psychoanalyis than anaything is just not my cup of tea...in the end, I got more and more frustrated with each visit.....don't know if BCT is the right thing either...its just that I'm so tired of fighting it all....when do you get to the point and say this is as good as it gets.....I first sought out psych and psyciatrist a year after Tx ended when I was really struggling with side effects of AI's, a work situation that was going south and turning toxic and struggles with my marriage....today I'm still married to the same wonderful person (34 years)...no longer in that job (force out), no longer on AI's...but still think I am dealing with depression, insomnia and not a full range of emotions....I can't cry....So for me, what I want is to be who I was before BC....a fully emotive middle age woman....one who could cry!! one who could feel a full range of emotions.....I deal with insomnia....I guess that comes with age!!!! Maybe if I really knew what i wanted it would be easier to find!!!! And to be honest, I'm not sure if its just post BC or the horrible job situation....Sorry if this is TMI....But I think you are on to a good idea.....but how to start I don't know....can you change your specialty to BC patients and get your name out to BC TX centers/clinics, med oncs, rad oncs, pcp's, BS and PS.....also to the nurse navigators....if your name was on lists, it might generate referrals....it would be slow building, but eventually it would get to where you want it to be....also on lists of support group facilitators to have for participants? Thanks for starting this thread
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Dear Doc.......there certainly is a need for psych help during our journey. I am an LPC, but found I was of no use to myself during my hell. 2 weeks before my diagnosis, my baby brother died of a Glioblastoma...yeah, 16 months of trying to stop a brain tumor....then I get diagnosed with BC.
What I found most troubling, is that people would not look at me. In the bank, in the grocery store, wherever.....no one would acknowledge me and look me in the eye. I understand it was a relfection of their own fears about cancer, but it was very very difficult for me to be to be reduced to a set of visible symptoms. It was the first time in my life I didn't even know MYSELF who I was.
As a therapist myself, I applaud you for addressing the specific needs of our lives
PM me if I can give you any more insights as I worked through my stuff.
Love
Michele
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Thinking back, things were very out of control around the time I was diagnosed, panic attacks, insomnia and crying jags. My main supoport person was a good friend who's a 14 year survivor of metastic thyroid cancer. She told me the one thing she regretted most was delaying getting a prescription for an anti-depressent. She suggested that I ask for a low dose anti- depresssant, which I did. Within a week or so I was able to deal with things more rationally and use the tools I gained trhough earlier counseling for PTSD.
I wonder if right about diagnosis some of us aren't feeling so out of control that we don't want to think of anything else being wrong. The nurse navigator at my hospital was very good at listening and helping the distraught. I later learned that she'd previously been a labor and delivery nurse who had worked with my Ob/Gyn.
I think that an introduction to the team noting that many women find this a stressful/disorienting time and that support is available might be a good idea of intoducing psycho-oncology as part of the team.
I was also helped along the way by other survivors I knew in RL. One suggested making sure that I stayed connected to things outside of cancer to keep balance. She'd scheduled weekly facials during her radaition treatment. I ended up finding something fun to do the weekend before a chemo treatement when my energy had recovered most. Before the last chemo I took an improve class with Second City -- the instuctors and other students were very supportive.
Other friends let me know that they found that the transition out of active treatment ("working without a net") to be one of the most stressful times. When I saw the flyers in the RO office for a support group for that transition, I followed up.
It seems that sort of guidance is a matter of luck, if there isn't some sort of formalization to get to those in need. I came to appreciate how lucky I had been with how things were organized where I went when a close friend was diagnosed about a year and a half after I was. She called me up saying she'd been assigned a nurse navigator, who was very eager, but didn't know what to ask her. As it turned out, that nurse navigator helped her with a number of areas where the communications had broken down with the doctors or what resources were available.
There are a lot of areas where communuications and empathy could use help.
Thanks you for taking on this challenge.
Meg
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Meg-that's an excellent point. early on, many of us, I think, feel numb, on auto-pilot and it all happens so fast that we can't start to process our feelings. but insomnia, anxiety, fear universal and none of those states help decision-making. And what I've seen on these boards is that women who can advocate for themselves do the best. Negative moods states are the enemy of self-advocating.
And the big problem is going to be getting the hospital on board-they're interested in making money, or at least, not losing any...
Time to get creative...
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I've been reading this topic and it's been very helpful for me. I'm not sure where I think the offer of psychologic/psychiatric help should come during our treatment. I'm not certain that I would feel a "stigma" and am just now starting to take a real look at my stress levels.
An eye-opener for me occurred today at my appt with my onc. The nurse asked whether I was interested in seeing a social worker. I said that I knew social workers in this setting handle a lot of topics. I asked "for what purpose" and she asked about my stress level on a scale of 1 to 10. We had a conversation about support groups, etc. I said that I thought my stress level was a 4 or 5. My sister had listened to the conversation and broke in with, "Her stress level is at least an 8". That is a huge difference in the perception of the problem. That was an important moment for me to reconsider the whole question.
asmd - I still don't know my answers to your questions, but as someone here already said support groups are not professionals and while they may have similiar experiences, in general they are not trained. I think I'm leaning toward a combination of both.
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- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
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- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
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- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
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- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team