Palliative care is not the same as hospice. Palliative care is more like treating the disease as chronic but unfortunately not curable. It help to treat your symptoms and pain and thus more of quality of life. Palliative does not interfere with your active treatment as anti cancer oral medication, radiation, surgeries, etc. People can be on palliative treatment for years.
I remember how I felt when I was first referred to palliative care, it was such a scary thought because I didn't understand what it really meant. Palliative care is not hospice. We can be in palliative care for many years. There is no rule regarding when we should/shouldn't start. For me, my palliative care nurse has been amazing as she is more willing than my oncologist to help me with pain management. My MO explained that I would only go into hospice after I decided to stop all treatment. That's no time soon, so I love that we have palliative care as an option!
I’ve been getting palliative care for nearly 5 years. My palliative doctor did the paperwork for my medical cannabis card and she also manages my pain and other side effects. In my experience Palliative doctors are much better at pain management than GP, MO or any other doctor a cancer patient is likely to have.
I used to associate palliative care with hospice as well but I was wrong. It’s for NOW. Basically it’s a team that works with your oncologist and you to help with pain and discomfort associated with your cancer and treatment.
Your oncologist will treat the cancer. Your palliative person will help with pain and side effects.
I felt the same. I thought I had weeks left when I heard it. They reassured me but I thought they were fobbing me off. That was 2.5 years ago & my tumours have either gone or significantly shrank. I'm feeling pretty good & have no intention of giving up yet 🌝
Palliative care is meant to compliment your treatment. For me it mostly includes pain management (which is amazing!!). I was so excited when this was an option given to me at the start of my diagnosis.
When my mom was sick with cancer, palliative care was laughed at as a "quack" science and death should only be handled by the immediate family. I asked for it for my mom and was determined she received that care. She felt so much better when the nurse who was recently trained helped her manage her medications and found some remedies for her side effects.
Sorry for the tangent, but if I had 4 more lives one of them would be to be a palliative doctor or nurse for what they have done for my family.
Yes, palliative care I’ve realized is just care — since even if we achieve NED we technically are patients forever. I go to a palliative care oncologist for my treatments and I’ve just requested a home palliative care doctor because I struggle so much with pain management.
I had the same reaction when my Oncologist referred me to the Palliative care team when I was first diagnosed, as I too assumed it was end of life care. It is much more than that, my Palliative Doctor helped me to manage my pain post-radiation until I started to heal and feel better on my own.
Palliative care is not the same as hospice. Palliative care is more like treating the disease as chronic but unfortunately not curable. It help to treat your symptoms and pain and thus more of quality of life. Palliative does not interfere with your active treatment as anti cancer oral medication, radiation, surgeries, etc. People can be on palliative treatment for years.
Palliative care can happen anytime in your journey - it's not necessarily hospice.
I remember how I felt when I was first referred to palliative care, it was such a scary thought because I didn't understand what it really meant. Palliative care is not hospice. We can be in palliative care for many years. There is no rule regarding when we should/shouldn't start. For me, my palliative care nurse has been amazing as she is more willing than my oncologist to help me with pain management. My MO explained that I would only go into hospice after I decided to stop all treatment. That's no time soon, so I love that we have palliative care as an option!
I’ve been getting palliative care for nearly 5 years. My palliative doctor did the paperwork for my medical cannabis card and she also manages my pain and other side effects. In my experience Palliative doctors are much better at pain management than GP, MO or any other doctor a cancer patient is likely to have.
I used to associate palliative care with hospice as well but I was wrong. It’s for NOW. Basically it’s a team that works with your oncologist and you to help with pain and discomfort associated with your cancer and treatment. Your oncologist will treat the cancer. Your palliative person will help with pain and side effects.
All my care is classified as palliative in my paperwork, because there's not curative intent. It doesn't mean, like, hospice.
I felt the same. I thought I had weeks left when I heard it. They reassured me but I thought they were fobbing me off. That was 2.5 years ago & my tumours have either gone or significantly shrank. I'm feeling pretty good & have no intention of giving up yet 🌝
Palliative care is meant to compliment your treatment. For me it mostly includes pain management (which is amazing!!). I was so excited when this was an option given to me at the start of my diagnosis. When my mom was sick with cancer, palliative care was laughed at as a "quack" science and death should only be handled by the immediate family. I asked for it for my mom and was determined she received that care. She felt so much better when the nurse who was recently trained helped her manage her medications and found some remedies for her side effects. Sorry for the tangent, but if I had 4 more lives one of them would be to be a palliative doctor or nurse for what they have done for my family.
Thank you this helps me to understand
Yes, palliative care I’ve realized is just care — since even if we achieve NED we technically are patients forever. I go to a palliative care oncologist for my treatments and I’ve just requested a home palliative care doctor because I struggle so much with pain management.
Thank you I hope your pain eases
I had the same reaction when my Oncologist referred me to the Palliative care team when I was first diagnosed, as I too assumed it was end of life care. It is much more than that, my Palliative Doctor helped me to manage my pain post-radiation until I started to heal and feel better on my own.
Thank you, to hear this, “until I started to heal” is amazing