Support

Options
marypoppins34
marypoppins34 Member Posts: 1
edited June 2014 in Stage I Breast Cancer

My mother is 78 and just had both breast removed due to breast cancer.  The hospital that she was in has NO support group and no one doing a follow up, checking her drainage tubes, nothing!  She calls the hospital to give them a drainage levels and that's it.  I don't understand, this was a major surgery.  If someone can give me advice on getting her support, someone that can answer questions that she has or will have. 

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • TifJ
    TifJ Member Posts: 1,568
    edited January 2012

    Are you in the US? The American Cancer Society can give you help locating a support group. Not everyone likes going to support groups so you can always find a thread on this forum that matches with her diagnosis. There are tons of ladies (and men) here who have been through it all and can answer questions for you or your Mom. I would contact her surgeon for specific questions. Best wishes to you and your Mom.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Wabbit
    Wabbit Member Posts: 1,592
    edited January 2012

    You need to make sure your mother has a follow up appointment scheduled with her breast surgeon.  I believe mine was a week after my surgery and I was told to call the surgeon or go to the emergency room if I had problems that needed to be addressed before that.  So yes ... they do pretty much just send you home and leave you to deal with it all yourself.

    She will most likely be referred to an oncologist to discuss any further treatment required.   

    In terms of personal support I agree that the ACS or the social worker at her hospital could give you or her information about peer support groups available.  And if she has a computer this is an excellent place to come and talk to other women with breast cancer.

    Best wishes to you both.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EnglishMajor
    EnglishMajor Member Posts: 2,495
    edited January 2012
    Most hospitals have a social worker. (You will need to sign a HIPPA waiver if you want to discuss specific details of your mom's care, but the social worker should help you navigate the hospital's resources and how to learn more about follow care/treatment.) Even if the hospital doesn't have an onsite group, most can refer you to local resources)
     
    You and your mom also can call Y-Me:  
     
    www.y-me.org/
    Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization - call 1-800-221-2141 to talk to a breast cancer survivor - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
     
     At the core of Y-Me is the organization's 24/7 hotline. "The Y-Me hotline goes back to the beginning," says Andrea Evans, contact center manager at Y-Me.
    Evans, also a breast cancer survivor, says the hotline is available anytime. "We have a live person answering the phones 24/7 and 365 days a year. It doesn't matter if its Christmas Day or New Year's Eve, they can always talk to a breast cancer survivor," Evans says.
    Caller can reach the hotline by calling (800) 221-2141. The peer counselors who man the phones are located across the country and work from their homes. Evans says the hotline workers are all breast cancer survivors and are also certified and trained in speaking to individuals who have been diagnosed. (Counselors go through a rigorous training period.)
    "So many times when someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, things happen so fast. There are so many decisions to make and it's very emotional. It's always so helpful to talk with someone who's been through it," she says. Peer counselors are available to take calls in 150 languages.
    Evans says through a special Breast Cancer Survivor Match program, a woman can speak to someone who has had the exact type of cancer or situation she may be experiencing.
    While Evans says counselors are not doctors and will never give medical advice or influence the decisions callers must make, they are definitely there to "empower them," arm them with information and "to give hope."
    Among other services offered by Y-Me is a wig and prosthesis bank. Breast cancer support groups are also located around the country where women can meet with one another and share their stories. FYI: Call the hotline at 800.221.2141 or visit y-me.org


    Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/niche/get-healthy/health-care/article_6dbaca61-ed1e-544a-876d-6e7f388501a6.html#ixzz1jjHPzVdS

     
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories