Finished with Cancer Treatment…Now What?! Creating Your Cancer Survivorship Care Plan!

By Tambre Leighn, MA, CPC, ELI-MP (guest blogger)

Founder of WellBeyondOrdinary.com

Ring the bell, hug the nurses goodbye.  Part of you is celebrating and another part is wondering, now what?

A recent report by the Center for Disease Control, announced the great news that overall trends show lives lost to cancer are decreasing.[1]  This corollary of this is that more people are living longer as survivors…often dealing with significant challenges as a result of their cancer or treatments.

Finally, there is an increasing awareness that while the end of treatment is a milestone, it is not the finish line and, in many ways, it is just the beginning of not only recovery from cancer but recovery of your life. 

Now what?  A cancer survivorship care plan is a great place to start.  It’s now considered standard of care according to the Commission on Cancer 2012 New Cancer Program Standards The Future of Quality Cancer Care.[2]  This is new territory.   It will take time to develop guidelines, systems and processes to support the implementation of this new tool for survivors.

Being proactive requires self-advocacy, which, in turn, requires knowledge.  A basic survivorship care plan includes the following elements:

•  An organized, thorough and accessible personal health record summarizing the history of your care  including scans, test results, treatment plans, etc.  This personal health record should be portable so that you can bring it to future appointments.  It can be in the format of well-organized physical documents, created using personal health record software – or a mixture of both.
•   A schedule of follow up care including information on potential late effects of treatment
•  Guidelines for well being including physical, emotional and financial along with an outline of resources to support you.

If your medical team has not provided you with a care plan even though you’re coming up on the end of treatment or you’re finished, it is up to you to ask.  For more information, check out Livestrong http://www.livestrongcareplan.org/ (also available in Spanish) and my blog post, Survivorship Care Plans ~ Empowerment Through Awarenes.

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[1] Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2009 http://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_nation/

[2] www.wicancer.org/documents/McKellar_1245pm.ppt

 

This blog post is part of the Resource Roundup series sponsored by Cancer Blog: Lots To Live For! in which the spotlight is shined on a resource that can help improve the journeys of cancer patients and caregivers. Past Resource Roundup stars have included the Annie Appleseed Project, Imerman Angels and Caring Bridge.

Cancer Coach - Trained to Help Cancer Patients Along Their Journey - Could a Cancer Coach Help You?

BREAST CANCER. A CO-ACTIVE COACHES JOURNEY
by Sue Bock (guest blogger)

Breast cancer. When I first heard the words, I was stunned. The earth dropped out beneath my feet. As time passed, my feelings evolved, the roller coaster ride of emotions from high to low became more of a child’s ride. I went from craving knowledge to how will I carry myself through the journey of treatment and after. I was already a trained co- active life coach, now how will that help me?

A Co-Active Coach trained at the The Coaches Training Institute uses a “tried-and-true approach that provides a powerful process for engaging with others and is supported by current scientific research. Our program is built on the cornerstone that we are all naturally creative, resourceful and whole and that we all possess the capacity for knowing what is best for ourselves. From this place, the Co-Active Coach comes from a place of authentic being, listening and encouragement, to uncover the best in oneself and others.” This is where I started. Now I help other breast cancer survivors transition from breast cancer treatment to breast cancer thriver. Leading a fulfilling life is possible after breast cancer. After the dust settles and the “normal” life returns, a Wellness Coach partners with the client to pave a path, so to speak. The client makes choices to answer the burning question of, “what is next?”

There are many hurdles to jump after breast cancer, and a Co-Active Coach is there to soften any bumps along the road. Often after breast cancer, women (and there are some men) find themselves at a loss. No longer is the support the same. The medical team is less a part of their lives and it may feel like they are alone in their quest to find answers. Coaching is a way to creative problem solve in a positive and safe environment.

In The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Pam Schmid shared the following testimonial:“Coaching made lasting, positive changes in the cancer survivors’ llives. Instead of being stuck, they have a partner to start moving ahead to be their best,” said Schmid. “As one survivor told me, ‘This is not like anything I’ve experienced. It’s given me a pathway out … I need to move forward to do the things I know I need to do to be my best’.”

I inspire women to dream, change, and live life’s adventure courageously. Breast cancer doesn’t define you. It frees you to arrive at different choices.

Cheers

Sue Bock

You can visit Sue's Courage to Adventure Coaching website by clicking here

For products that can help reduce and relieve cancer treatment side effects visit: http://www.lotstolivefor.com/