The Effects Of Cancer On Communication Between Family Members

Communication is the foundation of interdisciplinary patient care for those working with hospice and palliative care populations (Wittenberg-Lyles, Oliver, Demiris, Petty, & Day, 2008). Shared communication between the nurse, patient, and caregiver is fundamental in decreasing caregiver stress and improving both the bereavement process experienced by the family as well as the symptom management issues experienced by the patient (Ellington, Reblin, Clayton, Berry, & Mooney, 2012). Two types of shared communication methods often found in hospice include face-to-face verbal and non-verbal communication.

When one member of the family, especially a child has cancer, it affects the family. The child's attitude can change the whole family's attitude (Cancer and... 10). With cancer, a lot of emotional stress can be put on the family. They do not know if their loved one is going to make it through the hard fight with cancer (Edmond 14). The parents/caregivers also become stressed about things not involved with cancer, such as paying medical bills and the changing of the parent's work schedule. Especially because they

When my dad came home that evening he sat me down and asked me if I knew what cancer was. I had an idea so I just nodded my head, he went on to tried to explain to me how bad the cancer was that my mom had been diagnosed with. Seeing my dad so afraid scared me. The fear I felt then led me to realize that I needed to try and hide it because it would only hurt my dad more to see his children so upset. I did my best to help, I tucked my little sisters into bed while my mom was away at the hospital, read them stories and did the best I could at preparing snacks to comfort them. After my mom arrived home and she recovered from the surgery she started chemotherapy. The miserable treatment that attacks the cancer also makes her very ill. Every other week she was sick. Before every bad week I wanted to cry, but that wouldn’t help anyone. Lane and Kenna already were crying, if I cried it could only hurt my parents

Cancer has one of the biggest effects on the patients mental health but also the patients loved ones and friends. It is one of the hardest things to get a grip on when the doctor tells someone that they have cancer and a fifty-fifty chance of making it. "The disease can bring many changes-in what people do and how they look, in how they feel and what they value" (Dakota 4). It makes people look at the world and their lives in a different way, valuing now what they took for granted and seeing the bigger picture in every scenario. It is something that no one can actually brace, even after the doctor tells them. Through it all though, the person must remain strong and optimistic because the cancer can affect the person's moods and in return affect the outcome of the person and the chances of their making it

My mother’s side of the family has a history of cancer. My maternal grandmother and great aunt and uncle all died of some form of cancer. My mother, as well as her siblings are at risk for cancer.

Family caregivers have the important role in assisting their loved one through their cancer experience. Our society needs to acknowledge informal caregivers as a valuable members of the cancer patients healthcare team. Cancer care is becoming increasingly more complicated and difficult. Numerous caregivers are family members and close friends who tend to be unprepared and untrained for their position as caregiver to a older individuals with cancer.

Cancer can have many different effects on people. Many people would limit the effects to the patient but like I mentioned above the family is heavily affected by the cancer as well. The causes range from smoke to sunlight and the difference of exposure they have to both. The effects of cancer can be as simple as vomiting and being sick, to death. I don’t think just anyone can talk about cancer I think that only people who have personally experienced it can tell the true effects of it. Cancer is a slow killer that effects many American families and families around the

Cancer is Chronic disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems (NCI, 2013). Breast cancer in particular affects both women and men, though our focus is on Ella Miller who is the heart of the Miller family. Ella has been battling cancer for years now and even though she went into remission, the cancer has returned. This Situation is affecting her view on life and well as her family view on life with and without her. The purpose of this paper is to inform and introduce factual background of breast cancer, medical treatment options, suggestions of coping with this illness for the family and Ella as well as an outlook regarding the micro, macro and mezzo influences of the patient and family. This paper will educate Ella and her family on lifespan development and outcomes pertaining to breast cancer.

When I turned 11-years-old my whole childhood began to change my life went from being perfect to everything but perfect. One day I came home to hear the news my father, my best friend; my hero was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Not knowing the struggle my family was about to take on I just began to cry. I had a million things running through my head what’s going to happen? Will everything be okay? Why him? What is going to happen? With all these things rushing through my head all I could do was cry not knowing this was least worse to come.

Witt Sherman (1998) suggests that palliative care must be offered to family members of patients with terminal illnesses to address the physical, emotional, and social needs associated with being the caregiver of a person with a terminal illness, stating “the clinician needs to acknowledge the caregivers efforts and assess his or her relationship with the patient and other family members, while encouraging the expression of fears, concerns, loss, and grief. It is important to put the caregiver in touch with respite services before stress, emotional and physical exhaustion, and depression take their toll” (Witt Sherman, 1998). As an intern at a cancer institute, this writer assesses for the mood and needs of patients’ family members by initiating discussions about how they are coping with the patient’s illness. This writer attempts to empower caregivers by asserting the need for self-care at a time when they are devoting most of their time and energy to the family member they are caring for and providing them with the knowledge that the services offered by the Psychosocial Oncology department are available to them, as well as the patient.

The diagnosis of a brain tumor for a close family member can have a major impact on the entire family. Each family member has different reactions than others. But regardless of the family’s reaction, studies have shown that family members often need more support than patients do when they are diagnosed with brain cancer. The reaction of the patient’s relatives depends on the background of the patient like, how the patient dealt with difficulties in the past, Brain cancer, hospital knowledge and the support of the patient finds from the community. Frustration as well as guilt when family members try to care for the patient and handle household responsibilities, but this is an opportunity for closeness. (“Lifestyle changes during and after an adult brain or spinal cord tumor” 2017). Therefore, the way brain cancer can affect family members too.

He had multiple brain tumors and they were cancerous, he had stage 4 neuroblastoma, that’s what i think he had they never told me what he had. The only thing my mom could cry through her tears where, “Pop Pop is sick.” I knew what she meant though. The only reason my mom was so shaken was because her mom was also battling a form of cancer. My house was so quiet for the next few days you could hear a pin drop. My dad was flustered because he was so disconnected from his family. He couldn’t come back till Christmas, and that's in three

Communication skills, a core element in the care of patients with cancer, is essential for properly managing the expectations of patients and carers, especially in difficult consultations like breaking bad news and in end of life care situations. According to Maguire(2002), “Good communication skills in medical practice can be learned and can always be enhanced”. Results of the randomised studies by Fallowfield (2002,2003) have shown that key communication skills can be improved by training courses, which in turn can lead to an improvement in patient well being, enhanced satisfaction, compliance with treatment and medical decisions and improved clinical outcomes (Fallowfield 2002)(Fallowfield et al., 2003).

My experience as a youth of family members with severe illnesses have been profound and life shaping. Although they are not experiences that are rare, they do not parallel with the experiences of others. As shown here, they are unique and mirror multiple identities developed in a child’s young life. My story began years ago when I was sitting in the living room cuddled up under my soft, worn-out, bear blankie on a brisk fall day when the phone rang. Upon interrupting my Spongebob marathon, I answered the phone. “Hello?” Immediately my mom picks the phone up in the other room, “Sam, hang up the phone, I need to talk to Aunt Sandy.” Resuming my Nickelodeon marathon, the house became uncomfortably quiet. Aunt Sandy called to tell our family

This all suddenly changed the day my dad got home early from work with a harsh pain in his lower spine. It was so bad he found it hard to sit up straight; he had to be lying down to lessen the pain. One night the pain got really bad that my mom had to rush my dad to the hospital. It was 4 in the morning! My mom rushed me and my 3 younger siblings to get ready, I didn’t know if to be scared or nervous at the fact of taking my dad to the hospital or mad because she woke us up that early. We spent countless hours at the hospital and throughout that time all kinds of thoughts came through my head. “Will my dad be okay?” My grandma came to pick us up early and took us to her house. My parents came home the next day and called everyone into the room. My dad has cancer. He had a tumor on his spine and it was cancerous, that was what was causing him all that pain. The