Starting 2020, I will put more structure in sharing of cancer patients and their relatives in the Annual Christmas Get-Together of the Cancer Crusaders Club.
First, I will call it My Cancer Journey.
Second, I will categorize it into the following classifications:
By authors - patients, caregivers and physician-oncologists
By phases:
From diagnosis to right after treatment (say within one year)
From diagnosis to remission (less than 10 years)
From diagnosis to survivorship (more than 10 years)
From diagnosis to recurrence
From diagnosis to curtain call
Third, I will provide template on the contents of the narration of journey, such as the following:
For PATIENTS:
What psychological distress experienced
What coping mechanism used and what happened
Lessons learned
Advice to other patients in a similar category of journey
FOR CAREGIVERS:
What psychological distress experienced by caregivers
What coping mechanism used and what happened
Lessons learned
Advice to other patients' caregivers in a similar category of journey
FOR PHYSICIANS (ONCOLOGISTS):
What psychological distress experienced by physician-oncologist
What coping mechanism used and what happened
Lessons learned
Advice to physician-oncologists in a similar category of journey
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See Cancer Journey Sharing Links:
Proceedings of 33rd Cancer Crusaders Club Annual Christmas Get-together Virtual Meet
https://www.facebook.com/watch/Cancer-Crusaders-Club-101366344680247/214941616900004/
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My Cancer Journey is essentially storytelling which can provide an anchor for both patients and caregivers during treatment and survivorship. There is something cathartic about telling the story and being heard. Going through the details of when something happened, who was there, how we felt at that time and how we feel now reminds us of how far we’ve come — and how far we can still go!
Sample
https://blog.livestrong.org/my-cancer-journey-at-five-years-a-personal-reflection-278aa8510304
ROJ@20oct23;21nov18
Dear XXXXXXX,
May I request you to do a cancer journey sharing in the forthcoming ROJoson Cancer Crusaders Club Annual Christmas Get-together (Online Meet)?
Cancer Journey Sharing is essentially a storytelling of experiences encountered from the time of recognition of possible cancer to diagnosis, treatment, and after treatment. There is something cathartic about telling the story and being heard. Going through the details of when something happened, who was there, how we felt at that time and how we feel now reminds us of how far we’ve come — and how far we can still go!
Your Cancer Journey Sharing will also be useful in inspiring other cancer patients to emulate your response management to a cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Pls. include the following in your Sharing:
What psychological distress experienced
What coping mechanism used and what happened
Lessons learned
Advice to other patients in a similar category of journey
Pls. limit your Cancer Journey Sharing to not more than 8 minutes. You can share in English, Tagalog or Taglish. Pls. video-tape your Sharing and submit to me on or before ZZZZZZZZ.
Thank you.
Dr. Rey
Name:
Age:
You are a _____ Cancer Crusader (Survivor) ------ How many years now?
What is your cancer diagnosis?
What major treatment did you undergo?
Q-1: During your entire cancer journey, from the time you felt a symptom that made you suspect possible cancer which eventually turned out to be really cancer up to now (after treatment and in remission), did you go into depression? Or just anxiety? If depression, how severe was it (worst ever, severe, moderate, mild)? If anxiety, how severe was it (worst ever, severe, moderate, mild)? Pls. describe what you felt. Make sure to differentiate depression from anxiety.
Q-2: How did you cope with the depression? Or the anxiety, if you did not have depression?
Q-3: Up to now, do you still have recurring depression or anxiety? If yes, how often? How are you coping with it?
Q-4: What are your advice to other cancer patients on controlling depression or anxiety, secondary to cancer or any other cause?