Vim & Vigor - Summer 2012 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 40)

ESTABLISh A FOLLOw-UP PLAN Aftereffects of Cancer Treatment You’re probably familiar with the immediate side effects of certain cancer treatments: the hair loss and nausea that come with chemo or the skin changes brought on by radiation. But what cancer survivors need to be on the lookout for are longterm, or late, side effects. “These are side effects that happen following treatment but that are not immediately recognized,” says Stephanie Jardine, R.N., education project manager for the Oncology Nursing Society. They may not show up until months or years after active treatment has ended. Below are the most common late side effects. Your doctor can tell you more about those most likely for your specific therapy. Chemotherapy • Decreased heart function • Altered brain function (chemo brain) • Infertility • Premature menopause • Osteoporosis • Risk of developing secondary cancers Radiation (depending on the area targeted) • Cavities and tooth decay • Thyroid problems • Lung issues • Bladder, bowel or sexual problems • Skin sensitivity • Osteoporosis • Decreased heart function • Risk of developing secondary cancers Surgery • Lymphedema (swelling of an arm or leg) When cancer treatment ends, it’s critical to have a follow-up care plan in place, says Stephanie Jardine, R.N., education project manager for the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS). Jardine is also involved with Journey Forward, a collaboration of cancer organizations, including the ONS, that focuses on improving survivorship care. What should be in that plan? Regular medical checkups to test for recurrence of cancer and to discuss any new symptoms, and regular screenings, such as Pap tests, mammograms and colonoscopies. Your specific plan will depend on the cancer you’ve survived and the treatment you underwent. But as a guideline, for the first two or three years after treatment, you can expect to see your oncologist every three to four months, or, depending on your situation, you may see your primary care physician instead. After that, appointments are scheduled once a year. “In the beginning, I had PET scans every three months,” says Adele Kolinsky, 73, a lung cancer survivor. “Now it’s once a year. I’m not under the protective umbrella I used to be under. There’s always that little thing in the back of your head when you get a little pain. My initial thought is always I wonder if it’s come back.” This is often a survivor’s No. 1 fear, Jardine says, which is why keeping those annual appointments is so crucial, as is establishing an open relationship with your physician so you feel comfortable discussing your concerns. FINDINg STRENgTh IN RELATIONShIPS Not all the aftershocks of cancer are drenched in worry or concern. Some can be downright positive. For Sandra Zacharias, 49, her breast cancer diagnosis gave her the opportunity to make an already close relationship with her two daughters even closer and teach them a little bit about inner strength. “I told my oldest daughter, ‘In life, we’re all going to go through something. You have to be strong, and you have to hold yourself together,’ ” she says. “The experience is going to strengthen them throughout their lives—it already has.” In fact, it did more than that for her oldest daughter. It informed her future. After attending chemotherapy treatments with her mother and seeing 40 Vim & Vigor • Sum m er 2 012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2012 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2012 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil’s Feature
Good as New
With Open Hearts
The Breakfast Club
Arthritis Answers
A TV Guide to Radiology
Take Aim
It Might NOT Be Cancer
Colin Firth
Step Up to the Plate
Life After Cancer
Get Dad to the Doc
Virtual Health
PrimeTime Health
Half the Man He Was
Have a Happy Birth Day
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2012 - Gwinnett Medical Center

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