Survivorship - The Bloodline with Blood Cancer United Podcast

Hearing the words, “you have cancer” rattles your core, regardless of who you are. On this episode, Alicia and Lizette speak with Dr. Marni Amsellem, a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with patients and caregivers who are adjusting to cancer and other health-related challenges and seeking to build their coping skills and resilience. Dr. Amsellem speaks about issues that are experienced by both newly diagnosed patients and patients who are further along in their survivorship. She addresses the individual differences regarding the way in which people seek information about their diagnosis, the rate of depression and anxiety amongst people with cancer and the importance of discussing mental and emotional health with one’s treatment team. Dr. Amsellem also touches on the cost of therapy and ways in which it could actually be more affordable than people realize.

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Most people are aware of common side effects of cancer treatment such as nausea and hair loss. However, most people who undergo cancer treatment develop complications that affect the mouth. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Dentist Dr. Nevin Waters, who founded his own practice in 1975 with the goal of treating each patient as he would have a family member.  He is an active member of the American Dental Association and founder and board member of the Kansas Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped.  Dr. Waters speaks about his experience as a dentist, his diagnosis of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), the importance of dental hygiene and how cancer treatments can affect an individual’s dental and oral health.

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Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with psycho-oncologist, Elizabeth Harvey. Elizabeth works with and supports cancer patients, their families and caregivers throughout their cancer journey. Elizabeth has spent over 20 years working in research for cancer drug development and also worked alongside the late Dr. Jimmie Holland, a Founder of psycho-oncology. Elizabeth shines light on the fact that many times there is failure to address the psychosocial concerns that are associated with cancer. On this episode, she discusses the history of psycho-oncology, its purpose within the field of oncology, her work as a psycho-oncologist, and the support needed to help one cope with their cancer experience.

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Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers, motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. In this episode, Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with survivor Katy Ursta, a mother of two adorable young boys. Katy speaks about her diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma at age 30, and how she and her husband worked to keep their young family going, while maintaining normalcy around both their four year old and four months old sons. She speaks about the importance of support, having a good relationship with her oncologist, speaking up herself, and being inspired by late sportscaster and long-time anchor on ESPN, Stuart Scott. As her sons watched on as neighbors brought food and offered tremendous support to her and her family, cancer taught them kindness and emphasized Katy’s deep belief that we are all here to help each other. Katy believes in leaving a legacy of love and hope and with that belief, created Every Sweat Matters, which encourages people to work out as a way to ‘one up’ cancer and sweat for those who cannot do so.

To everyone listening, we’d like to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day!

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Caring for a patient means caring for the entire patient. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Dr. Daniel Epner, professor in the Department of Palliative Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, about his experience being an oncologist for nearly 20 years before moving into his current field of palliative medicine. While treating many patients with cancer, Dr. Epner began to really appreciate the power of the relationships that he forged with his patients.  His attention to caring for the entire patient naturally evolved into practicing palliative medicine.  Dr. Epner speaks about a curriculum he created for young doctors and discusses ways in which culture, gender and personality must be taken into account in order to provide the best care to a patient.

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Good nutrition is important for cancer patients. Eating the right kinds of foods can help patients feel better and stay stronger. On this episode, Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with nutrition educator, Margaret N. Martin, RD MS LDN CDE, about dietary information to keep in mind before, during and after active treatment. Cancer and cancer treatments can affect taste, smell, appetite and the ability to eat or absorb the nutrients from food. Margaret shares nutritional information to keep in mind during a person’s cancer journey.

You will also learn how The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s free one-on-one nutrition consultation can assist in providing patients with ways to maintain a healthy diet.

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Twenty-three years old and living in New York City, Glamour magazine Editor Erin Zammett Ruddy finds herself writing her biggest story yet when she is diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Upon diagnosis, this writer, author, blogger and survivor, along with her husband Nick, make the brave decision to stop treatment three times in hopes of expanding their family. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Erin and Dr. Michael Mauro, hematologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Mauro has treated Erin since her diagnosis, going on 16+ years, and is a strong advocate for women and fertility within the cancer realm. You’ll hear about Erin’s journey, fertility preservation, questions patients can ask their healthcare team when considering fertility, and how patients are not only ‘patients’ but people seeking to live the life they’ve always envisioned for themselves.

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Fatigue is the symptom most frequently reported by individuals with cancer. However, cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is very different from daily fatigue. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Patrice Al-Shatti, LMSW, who shares how calling cancer-related fatigue a symptom does it as a disservice as it is actually considered a syndrome. She explains the difference between fatigue and cancer-related fatigue, the varying physiological and biological factors, and helpful strategies known to improve quality of life. Patrice also discusses energy conservation and activity management and how to actively pace, plan, prioritize and deal with ‘energy leaks’.

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Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Carma Bylund, Ph.D, a behavioral scientist with international expertise in healthcare communication, who shares how research has proven that good doctor-patient communication results in patients making more informed decisions, better quality of life, and better outcomes for patients. Carma provides ways how both healthcare professionals and patients can improve their communication as they discuss diagnosis and treatment.

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After a cancer diagnosis, people with cancer and their loved ones may feel “out of step” during the holidays. A diagnosis can prompt new questions during this time, such as: How do I take care of myself during the holiday rush? How can I celebrate when I have so many other things on my mind? How can I manage my fatigue during such an active time of the year?

Listen as Karen Hartman, Clinical Social Worker and Social Work Manager at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, speaks with Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) about 10 ways to cope with the holidays after a cancer diagnosis.

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The post Coping with the Holidays after Cancer first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.