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>> Having a cancer diagnosis,
specifically a sarcoma cancer diagnosis,
really disrupts people's lives and has some unique challenges.
Sometimes the treatment is intense,
at times the patients require inpatient chemotherapy,
they come into the hospital for their infusions for a week-long,
and that's a rigorous regiment.
Sometimes patients are diagnosed at a young age,
that also has its unique situation because we know
that younger folks are typically thinking about dating,
fun activities, their career,
and having a cancer diagnosis really shifts that attention.
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>> It's really important for patients as they're going through
treatment to speak up with their team members,
their providers about their concerns and needs.
Talk to your oncologist to find out what services are available,
what resources are available.
>> Nice to see you again.
>> Nice to see you too.
>> An oncology social worker who works with
cancer patients can really help with adjusting to
having that cancer diagnosis in terms of making
decisions about whether to keep working through treatment or not,
how to talk to family members about your cancer diagnosis.
Social workers can help with
practical concerns like transportation,
getting to the hospital for treatment,
applying for disability,
or for the Family Medical Leave Act.
If a patient could benefit from having
a home health aid or medical equipment at home,
the social workers are really instrumental in
setting those services up for a patient.
Treatment itself has cost,
we have a financial navigator who can help address that issue for
patients to reduce anxiety and provide support around that.
Palliative care specialists can really address symptoms of
the cancer but they can also address side effects of treatment.
Palliative care teams can also talk about advance directives,
a document that lets providers,
family members know what
a patient's preference is in terms of their care,
should they come to a point where they are
not able to speak up for themselves.
We want patients to keep eating through treatment,
to keep up their strength to be able to
manage all that they're dealing with.
The oncology dietitian is here to make some recommendations.
We have an extensive rehab program at our cancer center and
those therapists are specialized in
helping people regain their mobility,
range of motion,
and ability to use their limbs particularly after surgery.
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>> We also offer many support programs that are
available to patients and to caregivers.
We get feedback from patients all the time about how valuable
they are in terms of providing support,
education, and just a chance to be
with other people who are going through something similar.
>> We are going to start lying down on our backs.
>> The yoga classes are taught
by teachers who have been trained to
teach cancer patients that focuses on balance, stretching,
breathing, so it's a restorative yoga,
but it's also really helpful with body image and
getting back in touch with trusting your body again.
>> Namaste.
>> We also offer meditation and mindfulness.
There's more and more data suggesting
showing that meditation mindfulness
can be really helpful in managing
the stress response and reducing inflammation.
>> Hello. Welcome, everybody.
>> We also have something called Reiki.
Reiki is hand placements on
various parts of the head and on the torso.
They're just still placements and they help instill calm,
help participants to be
settled and in their body and in the moment.
Art therapy is really designed to give
people an opportunity to use the creative process,
to explore feelings, ideas,
and process what a patient has gone
through in terms of treatment and in their recovery.
We can direct you to reliable resources where you can
get education about sarcoma that's available online,
and then there are a number of
community organizations that offer support groups
and support programs that are
available to patients and caregivers.
The Sarcoma Alliance is
an advocacy group that is a fantastic resource for information
about sarcoma as well as
learning about opportunities to connect with other patients.
Getting a cancer diagnosis can be
challenging and scary for any patient.
Because sarcoma is rare,
sometimes patients will think they're very much alone.
We want our patients to know that we're here to support
them every step of the way whether it's with your provider,
your nurse practitioner, or nurse,
we're at social worker,
we're all here to support you.
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