If you are facing a serious illness and have asked for palliative care, you may be wondering what the first meeting will be like. Here are five things you can expect. You will learn how the palliative care team can help Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on relief […]
Many people living with a serious illness miss out on getting palliative care because they don’t know about it and how it works. Palliative care is specialized medical care that treats the symptoms and stress of serious illness. Palliative care treats any serious illness, but the most common ones are cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, […]
If you or a loved one have received a breast cancer diagnosis, you know that it can be scary. You may have gone from thinking everything was okay to suddenly needing to decide about surgery and starting treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy. On top of this, you may experience symptoms such as pain, nausea, […]
Whether you have recently learned that your child is living with a serious illness (like cancer or a genetic disorder), or you received the diagnosis years ago, it is never easy to hear this news. Plus, running around from doctor appointment to doctor appointment is tiring and stressful. It can make you and your family […]
By Andy Esch, MD Living with Huntington’s disease can be extremely challenging. It’s a disease of the nervous system and brain, with symptoms that typically progress over time. These can include uncontrollable movements in your arms, legs, or body overall; painful muscle jerking; and difficulty swallowing or breathing. Huntington’s can also cause mental disturbances such […]
By Spencer Christensen, MD If you or a loved one are living with a serious illness like cancer, heart or lung disease, you may need help managing symptoms, improving your quality of life, or reducing stress. Palliative care can help. Whether receiving palliative care at a hospital, outpatient clinic, or at home (“home-based palliative care”), […]
By Andy Esch, MD If you care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, you may be struggling with the day-to-day challenges and maintaining quality of life. Dementia is a disease of the brain, which begins with memory loss, confusion, and difficulty making decisions, all of which worsen over time. This may mean […]
If you have cancer, lung, heart or kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, or another serious illness, you should know about a medical team that can address your symptoms and stress. The medical team is called palliative care and they’re available in a variety of medical settings. Palliative care teams focus on relieving the symptoms and stress of […]
By Holly Koncicki, MD If you are living with kidney disease, you may know that it comes with many challenges, as symptoms can take a toll on day-to-day life. Along the way, decisions will have to be made about potential treatments, each of which can impact you in different ways. With this in mind, it’s important to […]
Full disclosure, I’m looking out my office window at the falling snow as I’m writing this. Just as the winter weather can be a beautiful reminder of nature’s beauty, it can also be difficult for people going through the grief process. While experiencing grief is hard in any season, it seems to be particularly tough […]