SUPPORT SERVICES
You, Your Family and Your Friends
The impact of your disease and its treatment will, of course, fall most directly on you. But you are not alone. Family members and others who care about you will also be affected.
They may be as worried or scared as you are; all of you are confronting a life-threatening situation, each in his or her own way. What will this new reality mean to them? How will their lives change? Their future is now as uncertain as yours.
The reactions you may experience – anxiety, anger, stress, depression – may also emerge in their lives. These are understandable and rather natural responses to the situation, and they should not embarrass or dismay you…especially because there are steps you can take to alleviate them, just as you are taking steps to deal with your physical disease.
Here are a few things you can do.
Communicate. One of the best things you can do for each other is openly and honestly share your concerns. It is often enormously helpful simply to tell the people you care about how you feel and to allow them to express themselves in the same way.
Arrange for a full and accurate flow of medical knowledge. It is hard to understand and remember all that you hear in the doctor’s office, especially when you are nervous. It’s even more difficult to repeat it accurately to your family. But, “two heads are better than one.” You may want another person to accompany you to your appointments so that at least two of you get all the information. You may also want to arrange a family conference with your doctor if the need arises.
Seek outside help. There are counselors who are specialists in guiding families through the apprehensions of cancer. Your doctor can recommend one or more such highly trained people.
Allow others to help. When someone is ill, it is natural for that person to assert independence and control. “Don’t make me an invalid. I can do it myself.” Right! But your family and friends also need the healing privilege of doing specific acts of kindness for you. Try to discover small, but real things they can do. They will feel stronger and better in the face of your disease – as will you.
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Find spiritual support. In the face of a life-threatening disease, many people (not just the patient) raise spiritual or religious questions. A sympathetic and trained member of the clergy can help you deal with these issues. If you are a member of a church, synagogue, mosque, temple or other organization, starts there. If you are not, a hospital chaplain may be an excellent resource. Many people in times of crisis and turmoil find great strength in prayer (their own and those offered them by other people) and by the presence of God in their lives.
Support Groups: Housed within our office is an American Cancer Society Resource Center. Multiple support groups are offered through the ACS for persons and families experiencing cancer. Though this office and the ACS resource center you can find schedules and locations of well organized support groups.
There is a variety of resources available for obtaining information about cancer and treatment methods that you can call or look up on the Internet. Here are just a few:
Click here for a list of various support groups in the Dallas area.
American Cancer Society (ACS)
1-800-227-2345 www.cancer.org
The American Cancer Society is a voluntary organization that offers cancer information, support and community services to patients and families. It supports research and conducts educational programs about cancer prevention, detection and treatment. The ACS offers the following services and programs:
CanSurmount
Cancer patients and family members who participate learn about cancer, how to cope with their feelings and where to find local resources. Composed of a patient, family member, trained volunteer (also a cancer patient) and healthcare professional.
Reach to Recovery
This program helps breast cancer patients meet the physical, emotional and cosmetic needs related to their disease and its treatment.
Self-Help
This is a breast cancer support group through Reach to Recovery.
I Can Cope
A course designed to address the education and psychological needs of cancer patients. It is run locally, usually by nurses and social workers.
Senior Services
Senior centers, long term care facilities, health clinics for the elderly and home health care often have program to help patients.
Road to Recovery (Transportation)
The American Cancer Society offers transportation for cancer patients to and from appointments and/or treatments.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) www.nci.nih.gov
The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the federal government’s principal agency for funding cancer research and for distributing information about cancer. They can provide you with accurate, up-to-date information on cancer and cancer-related resources in local areas. Spanish-speaking staff members are available.
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National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO)
1-800-80-NABCO www.nabco.org
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
1-888-682-7426 www.ovarian.org
Oncology Nursing Society (ONS)
412-921-1929 www.ons.org
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS)
1-888-650-9127 www.cansearch.org
Cancer Care, Inc.
1-800-813-HOPE www.cancercare.org
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
1-800-462-9273 www.komen.org
The Wellness Community
1-888-793-9355 email: wellness@beachnet.com
Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support and Education (ALCASE)
1-800-298-2436 www.alcase.org
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America
1-800-955-4LSA www.leukemia.org
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
203-972-1250 www.ghgroup.com/myelomafoundation
Lymphoma Research Foundation of American, Inc.
310-204-7040 www.lymphoma.org
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization
1-800-221-2141 www.y-me.org
Leukemia Information Center-Medicine Online
www.meds.com/leukemia
Lung Cancer Information Center
www.meds.com/lung/lunginfo.html
American Brain Tumor Association
www.abta.org
Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide
www.bmdw.org
National Cervical Cancer Coalition
www.nccc-online.org
Cancer News on the Net: Lung Cancer
www.cancernews.com/lung
Melanoma Patients’ Information Page
www.mpip.org
American Assoc. for Respiratory Care
www.aarc.org
Association for the Cure of Cancer of the Prostate
www.capcure.org
American Prostate Society
www.ameripros.org
Email Resources:
cancermail@icicc.nci.nih.gov
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