How Bob Dickey Overcame Cancer Treatment Challenges
Introduction
Bob Dickey’s journey with multiple myeloma and the challenges he faced during cancer treatment is truly inspiring. Despite the debilitating side effects he experienced, Dickey remained determined to not let them interfere with his daily routine. His resilience and positive mindset serve as a beacon of hope for many battling similar health issues.
Determination Amidst Diagnosis
Living in Menifee, CA, Bob Dickey was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010 after a sudden fall during a regular workout at the gym. This blood cancer affected his bones, leading to a life-changing diagnosis. However, Dickey chose to cope by staying active and busy, which helped him maintain a sense of normalcy in his life.
Managing Nausea During Chemotherapy
One of the major challenges Dickey faced was managing nausea, a common side effect of chemotherapy. He emphasized the importance of taking anti-nausea medication diligently to avoid debilitating episodes. Despite a setback early in his treatment, Dickey learned to prioritize his health and well-being, ensuring that he was prepared for the hurdles ahead.
Strategies for Coping with Side Effects
Side effects of cancer treatment can vary based on factors like age, cancer stage, treatment duration, and overall health. It’s crucial to communicate openly with your medical team about potential side effects and seek their guidance on preventive measures. By aligning care and emotional support, individuals like Dickey can navigate the challenges more effectively.
Key Takeaways and Recommendations
- Stay informed about common side effects and discuss them with your healthcare providers.
- Engage a support system to help you through the ups and downs of treatment.
- Keep track of side effects and communicate them promptly to your medical team.
- Select an advocate who can assist you in making informed decisions during your treatment journey.
Blending Insight and Practical Tips
Going beyond the surface, it’s vital to understand the emotional and logistical challenges that come with cancer treatment. By sharing experiences and practical advice, individuals can empower themselves to face the uncertainties and complexities of their health journey. While the medical aspect is crucial, emotional support and advocacy play an equally significant role in enhancing overall well-being.
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Bob Dickey was determined not to let the side effects of cancer treatment – that is to say, nausea – Get in the way of your routine.
Dickey, a freight forwarder living in Menifee, CA,was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010, after falling to the ground during a regular workout at the gym. His bones had been weakened by the disease, a blood cancer that develops in the plasma cells found in the soft, spongy tissue in the center of bones (you may know it as bone marrow).
“I coped with my diagnosis by staying busy,” Dickey says. “It gave me a feeling of being alive and active.”
But manage the nausea that would strike without warning after chemotherapy It was a challenge. She discovered how difficult it was early in his treatment when she forgot to take her anti-nausea medication.
“I went to a breakfast I met up the morning after a chemo session, got out of the car and suddenly got dizzy in the parking lot,” he says. “I never forgot to take that anti-nausea medicine again.”
Side effects, of course, depend on many things, including:
- Your age
- He cancerstage
- The duration and dose of treatment.
- Your general health
The most common side effects of multiple myeloma treatment include:
There are ways to treat them.
“We want patients to be able to follow their routines to the best of their ability,” says Sagar Lonial, MD, Winship’s medical director. Cancer Emory University Institute.
To increase your chances of doing that:
Talk to your medical team about side effects. before treatment begins. Avoid a Google search expedition. Ask your doctors what side effects you are most likely to have. Also ask when they are likely to occur and what can be done to alleviate or prevent them from happening.
“People are scared of side effects even before taking the medications,” says Parameswaran Hari, MD, director of Adult Blood and Medical College of Wisconsin Marrow Transplant Program. “I just give patients a list of common side effects and tell them, ‘You can expect them, but we can alleviate them.’ There are also rare side effects, so whatever your [have]call me.'”
Align care and emotional support. Because multiple myeloma worsens over time, your needs will likely change. It is important to find caregivers who can change with you.
After Dickey began treatment, he asked a friend’s wife to be his communication person.
“My parents were getting a lot of phone calls, so I gave them a list of people who wanted to be updated and at least once a month I would write an email and send it out,” Dickey says. “That would let concerned people know what’s going on. If someone wanted to call me or my parents, I would go to her.”
He also helped organize meals so that Dickey, a single father of three, would have one less thing to deal with during treatment. He set up a spreadsheet to keep track of who would deliver what each day.
“We had more stinky food than we knew what to do with, so much so that we made people stay and eat with us,” Dickey says.
Keep track of side effects, during and after treatment. Side effects, no matter when they occur, are an important part of your care, even if they seem insignificant at the time.
“We have patients keep a diary and write down everything that happens,” Hari says. “Let’s say one day you get diarrhea. We don’t know if he is chemotherapy or something they ate. But if we see that they get diarrhea only on the day of chemotherapy“So we know what chemotherapy is.”
Use whatever is most convenient to keep track: your phone, a notebook (digital or otherwise), or share it with your note-taking caregiver.
That’s what Dickey did.
“I told my mom about it and she never forgot it,” he says. “She reminded me to ask the doctors at my weekly visit.”
Contact your medical team. It doesn’t have to be your doctor.
“The team caring for you can help you resolve some of the issues or concerns and give you peace of mind,” says Lonial. “Every member of your medical team has an area that they are very good at, and sometimes the non-doctor may spend more time with you than the doctor.”
Choose an advocate. When Dickey was first diagnosed, his parents moved in with him to provide emotional support and help him make treatment decisions.
“All drugs can really affect your ability to make decisions,” he says. “When you’re taking painkillers, you need to have an advocate who keeps you clear about what reality is and helps you decipher what’s real and what’s not. “My parents knew what was happening to me 24 hours a day.”
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