Caregivers and Cancer

This is the nation's largest show for those pushing a wheelchair for those who stayed up late at night doing one back doctor's office back-and-forth rehab centers just banging your head against the wall having late-night conversations with the ceiling fan all the things that are involved with being a family caregiver bring you 35 years of experience to help you stay strong and healthy as you. Take care of someone who is not.

And as always with me. I have himself. He's the bearer of the border Sultan sale, the Earl of engineering.

The man he was so smart he makes MacGyver look like the village idiot.

He is John Butler. The count of mighty disco. My right morning I listed on Butler, who gives Frank as an intro man who may break the department gives an intro to Frank to Fred but that is correct Melissa John first how I am doing fantastic. I helped somebody move today and it was not a disaster. So that's all I can ask it's all like it has to you survive the great Nashville ice storm idea that I did.

We work totally ice and for a while I had walked down to Walmart and there was. People making milk sandwiches and I had to walk to the Walmart in the snow that your grandchildren are yeah uphill both ways man until nobody was really nice.

The first very very icy, then it's no the most perfect snow for making snowmen and having snowball fights and all the stuff the kids and I got to make some some snowmen in the front yard and they were it was just it was it was really really kind of idyllic.

Therefore heads and firehouse in worked out real well also. Well that is fabulous will speak in Nashville. We have a fellow Nashville you here on the show with this is Dr. Shannon Saray. She is assistant professor of oncology over Vanderbilt sources right now you and from where I used to live. We Shannon I went to church together for many years and I was thinking about things that we need to talk about for caregivers and so many people struggle with the cancer diagnosis in their family with their love and I thought you know what, let's get let's get a dock on here. Let's talk about this and let's take away as much of the fear as we possibly can and prepare fellow caregivers for you know that the tough journey of dealing with this.

It's not a death sentence.

Every time I'm at the club people the moment they hear the word cancer. They think I'm I guess this is it have to be and there are things we can do to prepare ourselves prepare love once into to stay healthier in the process and I'm a big fan of knowledge is power and we are his caregiver is a caregiver that that the better we can handle these things and so Dr. Siri, thank you very, very, very much for being on the show with us today. There well where the role of caregiver oncology.

One of them. For many, for most folks navigating uncharted territory and having someone alongside them to help Marta get added critical.

It is scary to me listing you. We know this is scary. And you did in the wish more times and you you want to count of having to deliver that kind of news but it doesn't have to be the end of the world either does not at all patient Today received first hour reviewing the treatment plan, and most of the time there is a family member companies that patient to their first talk about what to back down, down the journey down the red and they're usually lacking information given to the patient in a caregiver at that first. How important is it for the caregiver to be there that first visit really helpful very helpful to have another set of ears to hear the information. Given the information can be very overwhelming to the patient and the caregiver and often times it's helpful for them to bring in jot down from the dead, that just because there is just a lot of information that I have to take in and absorb with basically three paths that mean subsets so forcibly you can you can good radiation you can go in chemo you surgery is that the threat is not really want it all treatment plan cancers and we can't operate on radiation oncologist that he now I don't do the surgery part of the radiation that we all work very closely together additions to help coordinate a plan of care with multiple addition to come up with this plan information they receive can be quite large with them when you swing you say chemo without. I don't mean to insult anybody here by going to the basics but I think sometimes it's it's best to go. It's okay, here's what it looks like from point A to point B. You go in and you sit in a chair and you have an infusion for X amount of hours or I is that correct it all depending upon the type of cancer patient had each each keynote we describe it can look very different negative infusion that takes less than an hour hours you alluded to pump that they wear, how in the keynote continue outside the office. Cancer centers have a separate infusion area where their comfortable chair and sometimes even individual TV where the patient painlessly.

They can they can read they can just rest while want to get the infusion possible for them. We've all heard that you know the horror stories people getting sick, and so forth. How long does it usually take if you're going to have some type of sickness or adverse reaction. Chemo this uncomfortable terms that usually take to kick in, and depending upon the treatment that the risk meeting happen that day came out of that sometimes it may take several days. The question side effects can fix now.

There may not be anything other getting the team have had that some may have the full the full predicted possible to healing and with what concoction I got a fax on Sunday have not yet have diarrhea alter case for stated where things just taste like metal than any tire not be able to do their usual activities. They may run fever on hospital 90 inconvenient and anything can be challenging and stressful for the patient and caregiver to tell them what to expect.

Worst-case scenario that I not surprised and taken off guard. I went how do we surprised yeah yeah this is better mood swings with chemo dissent doesn't happen fairly regularly so stairway to help minimize not because it medications we can can can consummate swing back and maybe not being able to do usual activities that that are used to make people little down and depressed and that's very common with. I will give you lightning on the 20 questions, but you know you're busy person and I wanted this.

A lot of information caregivers you know we we we live with fear on a given day. Anyway and write something like this. We don't know what to expect and in one of things I hope my fellow caregivers will take the heart is how important it is to educate yourself on what to expect. What this looks like, so that you don't go in there just kind of you all wrapped up in fear. How important is the diet for the patient and course for the caregiver but it but for the patient.

Through this process of how can the caregiver what was a caregiver need to be sensitive to this force requirement something such as that water all the Stuff stayed away from red bull you know that casting choice. I know you have strict restrictions. In fact I tell folks don't worry about trying to be healthy. Don't worry about trying to stick to lean meat and vegetable every day for two weeks we better get calories then, and hydration, whatever that looks like X plane lot or whether water he uses we do encourage hydration and just keeping a calorie helpful.

Things like ensure that is now coming on wide variety of flavors and can help supplement if that's think they're not getting enough in the way of solid foods. Will these are one of things also try to encourage triggers, it withers and any kind of difficult diagnosis going on that it's important to seek out some good counsel to deal with this because it is going to be a lot of things in addition to potential mood swings brought on by some type of chemical manager to somebody's body, you also just have the normal mood swings of fear, and in certain stress and thanks and so counseling is important in what are some things we may bump up just the breaker but that's okay will continue but what are some things that you wish every caregiver would know about this as you see these patients coming in and out and out some things that you wish every caregiver would know prepare that whatever I told can be scary can be life-changing. Their plans and they know it may be a printed utterance retirement plans, the ability to continue to work on scenario just glide through the treatment without any issues that often times there are bonds in the right and that they need to be prepared for major lactic Asians may need to be made based upon their diagnosis or prognosis just to be sure and ask questions, and their oncologists and really find out what it keynote going to be ongoing and diagnosis eventually be terminal or cancer curable questions asked. From the beginning, but it can have such a life altering impact to the break in minute but just before do that without the medicine, saying you feel like there's no question off limit in those conversations all authorized table then and it also encouraged people to write the questions down before they go into the don't forget to just have a list of things you you're not offended by me those questions are no, not at all not at all like a dumb question off limit that is so important. Caregivers take note of this. Okay like to know which scary writing down and spend time with your doctor on this will talk with Dr. shamus Rishi system Master of oncology at the University of Nashville and we're thrilled to have her here to talk about a very scary thing hopefully little bit less scary. This is over caregiver health caregivers will be like. Have you ever struggled to trust God when lousy things happen to you. I'm Gracie Rosenberger in 1983 I experienced a horrific car accident leading 80 surgeries in both legs and became it. I questioned why God allowed something so brutal to happen to me.

But over time I questions changed and I discovered courage to trust God that understanding along with an appreciation for quality prosthetic limbs led me to establish standing with help more than a dozen years we been working with the government of Ghana and West Africa, equipping and training local workers to build and maintain quality prosthetic limbs for their own people on a regular basis. We purchased ship equipment and supplies and with the help of inmates in a Tennessee prison. We also recycle parts from donated lambs. All of this is to point others to Christ. The source of my help and strength these visit standing with help.com to learn more and participate in lifting others that standing without.com. I'm Gracie.

I am standing with help you go to church.

It's hard to do that as a caregiver is isolation is one of the toughest issues we face in the COBIT 19 world. While it's even harder.

A lot of churches are struggling with how to care for people during this if your local church is not accessible to you beautiful couple going out in public.

Right now, with the because of your love ones conditions were yours, why not try what people are doing all over the country from Alaska to Florida. They are going to Stevens Valley church in Nashville Tennessee that Stephen with a pH Stevens Valley church in Nashville, Tennessee. My friend and pastor for more than 20 years.

Jim Bob and Lisa's church that he is cared for Gracie and me through many teachers, toils and snares. He still takes my calls but this is sort virtual church doesn't take the place of participating in local church body. I know that we all know that.

But until you're able to participate in your local church. I think can really benefit from being part of the Stevens Valley community please visit Stevens Valley can hear the message of God's faithfulness that are so necessary for you would be caregivers to endure to hear that strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. But Stevens Valley church in Nashville Tennessee. We stream their worship service live every Sunday morning at 10:40 AM central time. Stevens Valley church.calm Stevens Valley church.com is my wife sleeping, disabled, brought to you by my pillow.com you left lipids of lousy places the hospital floor's hospital chairs hospital got in a couple dubs of the doghouse, but we don't want to go there and you know what Mundelein we have a but also anything John my pillow works. We have a bunch of them and we love them and you know what you could also you could throw these things into the washer and the dryer. The never lose or shape. That's a big deal during the COBIT rule because I don't like taking uses what else is pillow uncomfortable taking my pillows into places, but now I can't because I could just wash you go out to my pillow.com put in the code word caregiver get disco on the site caregiver promo code caregiver and we use here at my house I were talking with Dr. Shannon's three cancer and the diagnosis comes in is so important to to be educated as a caregiver is at 11 blisters watching Rundell Facebook live streaming you know the importance of staying positive is a caregiver through the speakers you know that if you're all bleak and in and just go into the dumps with it into the spare that's can affect a lot of things and I think that's this great porch brings up there over Facebook live streaming.

John and I will talk about this. And then John let US this question because it really is appropriate to cover view of the questions I will set up to judge of pain management or sickness. Afterwards, because this is a topic I get asked a lot and my sister to do it. She course.

Gracie lives with a lot of pain.

You know, Gracie, and she was with a lot of pain and she's asked if we've ever considered medical marijuana.

That's almost a stress it will you know a lot of people ask us about that and that we thought about it but I don't think anybody wants to be stoned and she said, not you, you idiot.

Grace but does this day have you found in your experience that you know is more more states regarding this medical marijuana does anything CBD oil. Have you seen any kind of marked difference in the way your patients respond or don't respond or whatever it is that even affect to get their hands on heating oil quite helpful in terms of time helping with nausea and appetite, and medication. We sometimes prescribe cupbearer and all, and in the control available to cancer patient may help, but appetite appetite. But yes, some have experiment with the committee oilman and it had some good results that is encouraging because I don't think when you get to a situation like this seems like everything should be on the table may not work but you least put on the tables okay. Look at what her options are and does it help doesn't really help stimulate appetite appetite can sterilize earlier quite a bit help appetite and help with nausea. The good thing is your 70 good medications to come so far in terms of managing the Latino in cancer much more tolerable than it used to be like anything varies very from patient to patient and from whatever is not a cocktail. You call it, but it was a composition or whatever type talks you all have a great flavored by the way, will day job number when Gracie was dealing with a lot of her postoperative stuff and she was having a lot of nausea problems and it wasn't cancer but they put her on. So Fred many many years ago I had to help with that was a straw that was the first about the net about the drug. It was introduced to her.

This is something help slow the cancer patients with nausea and then as I got more into Riley's health big a deal that helps with nausea and do you do anything with plots in your your hematite you dump stuff with hematology redo my blood clot something such as that as well. Are you focused mostly on this with lots and so I wanted to touch all that the last little bit if you if you could just take us down that path what's involved with that oncologist take a train and how it is a lot of overlap because certain blood related cancers and we take care of and treat as well and in bleeding disorders whether it be anemia or clotting and bleeding easily. We we did illegally take care of things as well and interestingly had a cancer diagnosis have a greater risk of clotting.

A lot of cancer patients where treating the cancer and also treating class and it occurred to Gracie has a coagulation disorder she's had over 48 transfusion since Rick, that's a lot of and somewhere along the line. She's developed a coagulation so she is constantly having to have her INR checked and it it's a challenge to two to regulate that with her. She's had pulmonary blood before and things such as that people may not know that we never really talked about her clotting issues but that's been a real problem which is the transfusion so and then of course we have you in the imputation world that we live in.

We've had a lot of people that have lost limbs because clot something such as that. That's right, I want people to understand how important it is to watch these things watch your diet when it comes to certain things with clotting. Pay attention to those things.

Anything else of the last minute or two that you feel like that what what would you like for patients to know about doctors in oncology about the you know we were on the same team.

We want the patient at mechanically one and we want to do our best to cure the cancer working hard to do that but we illegally don't have alternate control and you oftentimes. Despite our best efforts, diagnosis may not may not be what we wanted to be an things may fail, we fail, but we do way and that we put forth our best efforts to cure the cancer but we certainly don't have control over the ultimate outcome. And that's your world, human beings, and in this we don't. We know a whole lot more than we used to, but were still a long ways away from those talking to pain management specialist not to belong to go with you.

He said that what we know about pain is almost infinitesimally small. You know, it would just ratchet the surface of what we understand about this and so but appreciate that the comment about your world, the same team. It is a team approach and part of that team is the family caregiver and we have a responsibility to educate ourselves to be informed, to be engaged in this process to understand what's coming because were to be the coach of the cheerleader and working to be also cleaning up some of the stuff when things go awry. And so Dr. three up really appreciate you coming on the show today just to give us this input.

I know that you are an amazing individual who has a great deal of compassion.

We went to church together for years there in Nashville and I thank you for the work that you do well, you're welcome, helpful, thank you for having Peter very very helpful and you are but what have you back. Listen we got to go to break this hopefully caregiver the most healthy caregivers make better caregivers help informed Rosenberg is not a preacher but he's got great.

This is John Butler and I produced hope for the caregiver with Peter Rosenberger.

Some of you know the remarkable story of Peter's wife Gracie and recently Peter talk to Gracie about all the wonderful things that have emerged from her difficult journey. Take a listen Gracie. When you envision doing a prosthetic limb outreach. Did you ever think that inmates would help you do that, not in a million years. When you go to the facility run by core civic and you see the faces of these inmates that are working on prosthetic limbs that you helped collect from all of the country that you put out the plea for and their disassembly sell these legs like what you have your own prosthetic and arms and orange everything when you see all this. What do you make me cry because I see the smiles on their faces and I know I know what it is to be locked someplace where you can't get out without somebody else allowing you to get out course, being in the hospital so much and so long and so that these men are so glad that they get to be doing as as one man said something good family with my hands. Did you know before you became an amputee that parts of prosthetic limbs could be recycled had no idea and I thought a peg leg. I thought of wooden legs.

I never thought of titanium and carbon legs and flex the sea legs and all that. I never thought about that as you watch these inmates participate in something like this, knowing that there there helping other people they'll walk there, providing the means for the supplies to get over there. What is due to you, just on the heart level. I wish I could explain to the world. What I see in here and I wish that I could be able to go and say the this guy right here Denise go to Africa with us. I never not feel that way out every time you know you always make me have to leave.

I don't want to leave them. II feel like I'm at home with them and I feel like that we have a common bond that I would've never expected that only God could put together. Now that you've had experience with it what you think of the faith-based programs. The core civic offers. I think they're just absolutely awesome and I think every prison out there should have faith-based programs like this because the return rate of the man that are involved in this particular faith-based program and other ones like it, but I know about this one are. It is just an amazingly low rate compared to those who don't happen and I think that that says so much that doesn't have anything to do with me just has something to do with God using somebody broken to help other broken people. If people want to donate or use prosthetic limbs, whether from a loved one who passed away or you know somebody well groomed. You've donated some of your own for the to have it, how they do that please go to standing with hope.com/recycle standing with hope.com/recycle X grace. One of our generous sponsors here at the Truth Network has come under fire fire from the enemy fire for standing up for family values. Actually one of the biggest supporters of the movie unplanned. The talked about the horrors of abortion.

Yes, it's Mike Lindell. You've heard me talk about his pillows for a long long time and no doubt big business is responding to Mike Lindell and all this generosity for causes for the kingdom by trying to shut down his business. You can't buy pillows at Kohl's anymore. You can't get them on Amazon or you can get them at Costco. They are attempting to close his business because he stood up for kingdom values. What a chance to respond, especially if you need a pillow live at my now for years and years and years and still fluffs up as wonderful as ever. Queen-size pillows are just 2998. Be sure and use the promo code truth or call 1-800-944-5396 that's 1-800-944-5396.

Use the promo code truth for values on any my pillow product to support truth