Managing Cancer Care Questions

1. Could my friend's cancer care be suffering because he's HIV positive?

   Difficulty swallowing is normal for a period of time after radiation. It varies by the amount and exact location of the radiation as well as whether certain chemotherapies were given at the same time. Unfortunately, sometimes doctors do disagree on treatments and possible outcomes and it can be very confusing for patients...
   1 Expert Answer

2. How can we motivate my father to recover from radiation treatment?

   Hello Steve, It is noble of you to want to continue life with your father, and I applaud you for seeking answers to such a challenging circumstance.
   1 Expert Answer

3. How can we support my brother-in-law and his family through the last stages of cancer?

   I know this is a trying time for you, and when you're attempting to involve the rest of the family in his care, it can be very frustrating. Try not to feel guilty; you're involved and want to help, however extensive that may be. It's a good start.
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

4. How can I get my anxiety under control while caring for my mother with lung cancer?

   Your anxiety is a natural response to being under extreme stress. Nobody has a crystal ball and can tell you what is going to happen, and that's really hard to cope with. Remind yourself that you're not crazy when you feel like you're about to crack under the pressure...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

5. If I'm the primary caregiver for my parent with cancer, should I join a caregivers' support group?

   To add to Phyddy's response, you'd be surprised what benefit you can get in attending the support groups in that many have creative, successful solutions to problems that you have; additionally, they may prepare you for challenges that may be forthcoming.
   2 Expert Answers, 1 Community Answer

6. How do I get my parent's doctor to give us complete and honest information?

   It's usually not easy, but there are ways to get the information you want once you understand what you're up against.
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

7. Since her cancer diagnosis, my mother has seemed very depressed. Does she need professional help?

   Living with cancer is one of the most stressful and destabilizing things that can happen to someone, and depression, mood swings, anger -- even serious mental illness -- are very common. You may feel like you know your mother well, and suddenly she's different...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

8. How can I overcome my father's refusal to ask for help with his cancer care?

   Such secretiveness is not at all uncommon, and it's almost always a generational issue. Your father grew up in a very different era: 50 years ago, there was a great deal of fear and secrecy surrounding cancer, and people rarely talked about it.But they also didn't have much hope of a cure; a diagnosis of cancer usually meant a long, slow decline...
   1 Expert Answer

9. How do I get my father, who has prostate cancer, to accept help from others?

   This is one of the issues that forces you and your dad to acknowledge the reversal of roles that's taken place because of his cancer and your caregiving. Your father is probably used to giving orders and having you do what he says. But now you're the one in charge, and he doesn't like it.
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

10. My mother has been depressed since her cancer diagnosis; how can I persuade her to see a therapist?

    Here's something else to think about: perhaps someone in her circle of friends has a success story of seeking professional advice -- from clergy, doctor in the family, even support hotlines.
    2 Expert Answers, 7 Community Answers

11. Why doesn't my mother's doctor want to perform a red blood cell transfusion, just because she's never had one before?

    When your mother’s red blood count (RBC) is low, her doctors may start considering a transfusion if her anemia is causing symptoms such as extreme fatigue and shortness of breath. Unlike a platelet transfusion, a transfusion of red blood cells can have both immediate and long-lasting benefits, sincece the average red blood cell lives 120 days...
    1 Expert Answer

12. How can I help my parent control nausea from chemotherapy?

    Dealing with nausea is one of the daily challenges of caring for someone with cancer, and you just have to keep changing tactics, trying to find things that help even a little bit. If you've been prescribed antiemetic drugs -- medications that fight nausea by altering the chemistry of the brain -- you can ask if there are other antiemetics you haven't tried...
    1 Expert Answer, 8 Community Answers

13. My mother, who has breast cancer, asks me to visit her every time she thinks there's a crisis. What should I do?

    Your first task is to find out what's really going on and how serious it is. Your mother may just be trying to tell you that she's lonely.When your mother was first diagnosed and started treatment, she probably got lots of attention amidst a flurry of activity...
    1 Expert Answer, 5 Community Answers

14. How do I get help and answers for caring for my 32 yr.old...

    How do I get help and answers for caring for my 32 yr.old daughter and her 2 children? There has been domestic violence ,court order protection for all three, and divorce.. My daughter has oligodendroglioma tumor now terminal and I am trying to do my best for them . We are reaily struggling financially...

15. Will an OTC cough remedy help Mom's cough?

    My Mom has been diagnosed with lung cancer; a walnut sized tumor in one lung and an avocado sized mass in the other. She has had x-rays and a CAT scan but no biopsy and may choose not too. It has metastasized, according to the person who read the CAT scan, but has not spread to her adrenal glands, yet...