Caring for a loved one during metastatic breast cancer treatment and recovery can be a challenging task. Learning as much as you can about metastatic breast cancer and breast cancer treatment will help you know what to expect and how to handle many situations. It is also important that you take care of yourself during this time. This part of ABRAXANE.com provides some advice on being the caregiver of a metastatic breast cancer patient as well as caring for yourself.
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Taking care of a metastatic breast cancer patient
Get informed
Knowledge is power. By learning as much as you can about
metastatic breast cancer
you can become a source of support and knowledge for someone with metastatic breast cancer as she comes to terms with her situation. In addition, having good, reliable information can relieve some of the anxiety of the unknown and some of the stress you feel in your new role as caregiver.
Today there is a lot of information on Web sites that may not be 100% accurate. Every patient is different, and everyone responds differently to therapy—what you read may be true for some people, but not all. Be sure to talk to your health care professional about the information you gather. Don't believe everything you hear or read—talk to a professional you trust.
Keep a journal
Get a notebook and keep track of how she feels on each day. If there are things that make her feel better or worse, take note of what those things are and the effects they have. Also keep track of any side effects she experiences from her medication and what makes the side effects better or worse. This information will help her doctor get a clear picture of what your loved one is experiencing.
Organize a team
Try organizing a caregiving team—friends, family, and professionals on whom you can rely to help with certain tasks. You may need a cleaning service to reduce the burden of housework, a lawyer to tend to legal and financial affairs, or an at-home health care professional to help with daily care.
Create lists and calendars to help you organize your day and manage the many things that need to get done. Divide the work up between the people on your caregiving team. Remember, you do not have to shoulder all of the responsibilities yourself—there are people who can help.
Be prepared
Establish an emergency plan, so if a crisis hits, you are prepared. Create a list of important phone numbers—doctors, nurses, pharmacists, family members, neighbors, and friends—and keep the list in a convenient place, such as next to each phone in your home. Your list should also include information about your loved one that you may need in a crisis, such as her insurance policy information, Social Security number, and living will or power of attorney information.
It is also important to keep a list of prescribed medications, the dosage, and when she started taking each one. Your list should also include the name of the prescribing physician and the reason for taking the medication. This list is important to have on hand in case of an emergency, because certain drugs can interact and cause negative effects. An emergency room nurse or doctor will want to know what drugs your loved one is currently taking before he or she can prescribe any additional medications.
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Taking care of yourself
Get rest, exercise, and good nutrition
Caring for someone with cancer begins with caring for yourself. Many people who are caregivers experience a decline in their own health because of stress, anxiety, or fatigue. Although this is common, try to avoid it by taking good care of yourself. Maintain your fitness routine, get enough rest, and eat well—this will keep you feeling fit and having the energy you need to get through this challenging time.
It is important to remember that you should not stop living your life. If you usually go to church, play golf, or shop with your friends, it may be helpful to keep up those activities. By keeping yourself as healthy and balanced as you can, you will be able to give the best care possible to the person you love.
Talk about it
It is important to have someone you can talk to—someone to support you as you are supporting someone you love. Browse our breast cancer treatment online resources for information that can help caregivers cope. Do not isolate yourself, even if you feel your friends might not understand your situation. Most people have experienced difficult times in life and can sympathize, even if they have not had a loved one with cancer.
If you feel like you can't talk with the people you know, you can join a support group or find a professional counselor to talk to. You may feel overworked, afraid, stressed out, exhausted. Other people have gone through similar situations and are there to help you find solutions.
If you need time off from work or are having trouble concentrating at your job, you should talk to someone who can advise you on whether you are eligible for a leave of absence under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Also, some human resource departments offer programs for employees in special need.
Take time off
It can be difficult to imagine how you can get away at a time like this, but arranging to have some time off—even just one day—can leave you refreshed and reconnected with yourself and your personal strength and wisdom. Make time for short diversions that take your mind off your worries and help you relax, such as a walk through the park, a drive around the countryside, or a local community event like a concert or a play. Remember that you need to be taken care of too.
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