The September edition of Navigator News includes articles on: Understanding Palliative Care; The Fine Print of your Insurance Policy; and Food Science Part 1. We welcome your feedback!
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d write about one of my favorite guilty pleasures, CHOCOLATE! Chocolate can be good for you. Sure, a chocolate bar loaded with caramel and/or nougat carries few health benefits, but dark chocolate has been found to have many heart-healthy benefits that are otherwise absent in milk or white chocolates.
A healthy heart allows your body to work properly by supplying it with the right amount of blood, flowing at the correct rate. A diseased or injured heart, however, has to work overtime to allow your body to function well.
Here’s where the dark chocolate comes in.
Research has shown that dark chocolate improves blood vessel functioning, thus lowering blood pressure, taking stress off your heart and helping your blood circulate more efficiently. Dark chocolate also has antioxidant qualities, which come from flavonoids found in cocoa. Flavonoids are naturally occurring plant based compounds that repair and protect plants from harmful environmental substances. When consumed by people, flavonoids provide an antioxidant that can repair cell damage from toxic substances, such as cigarette smoke. Due to its antioxidant nature and cancer prevention possibilities, researchers agree that cocoa needs to be further studied.
While this is certainly welcome news, remember, everything in moderation. Eating your required daily intake of fruits and vegetables remains the number one way to stay healthy, but indulging on a piece or two of dark chocolate a week is a good thing! So on Valentine’s Day, nothing says “I love you” like some delicious, dark chocolate.
For more information on dark chocolate and your heart, please visit;
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/nutrition/chocolate.aspx
Submitted by Heather Matthews, Cancer Research Specialist at Patient Navigator LLC.
We all have cancer cells in our bodies.
How about that as a scary thought? Every single human being on the planet has cancer cells in their bodies. The good news is that, for most of us, our body’s natural defenses know how to defeat these defective, tumor-causing cells, and they never get the chance to grow up into a full-blown cancer.
I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, himself a cancer survivor, during the CancerGuides® training in June 2009.* His delivery was amazing; his presence on the stage mesmerizing. But what stuck with me was the plain truth – we all have cancer cells somewhere in our bodies.
Accepting that fact also motivated me to learn more about what to do to try to keep those individual defective cells from joining together and having a cancer party. Following his advice, outlined in the book “Anti-Cancer – A New Way of Life,” I have made small changes in my life since then. I try to include freshly ground flax seed in my daily diet, usually in my morning oatmeal or yogurt. I am proud to say that my ten-year old son often copies me, and grinds his own flax seed into his breakfast. I definitely am more conscious of the amount of fruits and vegetables that we all eat. I try to purchase eggs and meat that are grass-fed, and therefore richer in Omega-3s. I am working to reduce toxic cleaning products and other indoor pollution from our house. I exercise regularly.
I am falling down, however, on approaching life in a light-hearted way, with laughter and serenity. Dr. Servan-Schreiber emphasizes that emotional toxicity is as harmful to the body as physical pollutants. It is easy, and we are programmed very early, to react to problems with anger and negativity. It is much more of a challenge to find the humor in adversity, to love those who make life difficult for us. I think these are the most difficult changes of all – the internal ones of the basic self. Whether you’ve had cancer or not, any person who wants to improve their chances of avoiding cancer should read Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s very important book.
* CancerGuides® training is offered by the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C. It is the country’s only comprehensive training in integrative oncology. To learn more, visit http://www.cmbm.org/
Guest editor: Debora Harvey, Director of Client Services at Patient Navigator, LLC
To the general public, these words can be overwhelming.
Even to people in the healthcare industry or those helping a loved one cope with a serious illness, the words “clinical trials” can conjure up images of desperate medical experiments with little hope of success. In reality, this stigma is unwarranted. Medical advances and breakthroughs can and have resulted from clinical trials. Without them, we wouldn’t have many of the treatments we have today.
In short, clinical trials are research studies that allow for new and promising therapies to emerge from the laboratory to the bedside, comparing new, investigational therapies against the standard, current therapies. Trials occur in well-defined phases.
Phase I trials: These first studies in people evaluate how a new drug should be given (by mouth, injected into the blood, or injected into the muscle), how often, and what dose is safe. A phase I trial usually enrolls only a small number of patients, sometimes as few as a dozen.
Phase II trials: A phase II trial continues to test the safety of the drug, and begins to evaluate how well the new drug works. Phase II studies usually focus on a particular type of cancer.
Phase III trials: These studies test a new drug, a new combination of drugs, or a new surgical procedure in comparison to the current standard. A participant will usually be assigned to the standard group or the new group at random (called randomization). Phase III trials often enroll large numbers of people and may be conducted at many doctors’ offices, clinics, and cancer centers nationwide
Often patients seek out clinical trials after all other standard therapies have failed. To qualify, a patient must complete a physical exam, give a full medical history and, if eligible, sign a consent form before receiving the experimental drug.
The rules and regulations vary from trial to trial and a person’s past treatment history can dictate whether they are eligible or ineligible. Additionally, many insurance carriers restrict access to clinical trials, often denying coverage for doctor visits, laboratory tests, or medications associated with trials. Out of pocket expenses can be astronomical and make trials an unaffordable choice for many.
Recognizing a need for change, the medical community and certain state legislatures have been trying to secure better coverage for clinical trials. Just recently, Texas, Oregon, and New Mexico passed laws requiring an improved level of care for people involved with clinical trials. Even the sickest patients have a powerful voice, Use yours to seek from your legislators better insurance coverage to help gain access to potentially life saving clinical trials.
To learn more about clinical trials, the National Cancer Institute’s site at www.cancer.gov There is an entire section devoted to clinical trials, including public search engines.
Submitted by Heather Matthews, Cancer Research Specialist at Patient Navigator, LLC
I am encouraged – most of the people I know who have had cancer have beaten their disease and become cancer survivors. They struggled through the chemotherapy, the radiation treatment, surgery, physical and emotional upheavals and come out on the other side. It is a time of celebration and elation.
But then the reality of life after cancer kicks in, and many of them find themselves in a kind of limbo. Lingering disease and treatment side effects, or “late effects,” such as lymphadema, memory and attention loss, muscle weakness, chronic pain and fatigue, affect their daily life. Some are no longer able to work in their jobs, and feel unvalued. Some are dismissed by the very doctors who helped to save their lives.
Many health care providers, especially those outside major medical centers, have not had much experience with long term cancer survivors, and are uneducated about potential late effects. The challenges of a post-cancer life can be more like a chronic illness, taking a new toll on the survivor and family.
Cancer survivor stories abound on the internet – mostly how the cancer was beaten, and how various treatments worked for the survivors. In recent years, however, there is a new focus on how to LIVE as a long-term cancer survivor.
In doing some research for a client who has numerous serious late effect conditions, I discovered the Cancer Survivors Project (http://www.cancersurvivorsproject.org). It is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults after cancer, to making widely available information about the physical, emotional and mental late effects of cancer treatment. The stories of long-term cancer survivors illustrate that, even after the personal war against the cancer is won, there are hills to climb. Family, friends, good nutrition, compassionate and knowledgeable medical care – the tools of the battle – are still often needed to support the survivor in “real life” after the cancer is gone.
Today, there are nearly 12 million cancer survivors in the United States. If you are one of them, remember that just as you won your fight against cancer, you can learn to live and enjoy your new life as a strong and proud survivor.
For further information, visit the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute: http://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/ocs/
Guest editor: Debora Harvey, Client Service Director at Patient Navigator, LLC
Many of you reading this blog have experienced some type of difficult health situation, for yourselves, a friend or family member. It’s also what makes so many of us passionate about helping others through their illness. It’s why Patient Navigator exists.
Since it’s the New Year, most people take some type of inventory of their lives and resolve to make changes. But truly, taking care for our health should be the most important thing we do – more important than money, a promotion or material goods. Because without health, we feel powerless.
I don’t need to restate the recommendations we’ve all heard a thousand times about healthy diet and exercise. We know what we need to do. So let’s reflect today on our health and the gift that it is, the miracle that is the human body. If you are suffering, see what steps you can take to improve your situation. Your body is meant to work so beautifully; if you’re hurting it, please resolve to try harder to nurture and respect your health.
I went out and bought a teapot and some wonderful teas today. I resolve to make myself a pot of green tea every evening at about 5:00. Please think of one good thing you can do or change. Once you’ve done it, the rest will come more easily because you will feel your body thanking you. Here’s to a New Year 2010 of good health and serenity.
The National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants (www.nahac.com) held a successful inaugural conference November 14-15 in Berkeley, California.
As a former diplomat, I’ve always loved the phrase associated with our post-war Secretary of State Dean Acheson – to be “present at the creation.”
This is exactly how we all felt this weekend – to be present at the creation of an important organization leading the way for for our new profession. We participated in two intense days of workshops, networking and strategic planning. Our next conference will be held in Washington, D.C. in November 2010.
The National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants (NAHAC) is designed to bring together under a professional umbrella the many individuals now working around the country as navigators and advocates. One of our intial goals is to develop a code of ethics and to build business and professional resources. The other key goal of the Association will be to provide a clear voice and reasoned opinions on policy matters related to navigating the healthcare system, patient advocacy and health care reform. As health care reform winds its way through the Congress, the Association will be vigilant about the many forthcoming changes so that we can continue to help the families we work with find their way through the system to achieve the best possible outcomes.
As I’ve described in previous posts, the emerging field of patient navigation and patient advocacy has burst onto the scene in 2009. Advocates and navigators work to fill the glaring gaps in the U.S. healthcare delivery system which is fragmented, confusing, expensive, and inefficient. Since 2005, my company Patient Navigator LLC has been helping families solve problems, navigate the complexities of the American healthcare system and benefit from an integrative approach to treatment and recovery. Now as Vice President of the NAHAC, I look forward to helping chart the course for our new profession. To learn more, please visit www.nahac.com
As the parent of an 8-month-old baby boy, I have been grappling with this difficult decision. I myself have always been wary of the flu shot, getting my first only last year while pregnant with my son. I have been vaccinating my son according to his pediatrician’s guidelines but all the while hesitant due to the highly publicized debate surrounding vaccines and autism. I would be lying if I said I didn’t closely monitor his behavior for weeks after receiving vaccines for any sign of something out of the ordinary. How was I to decide if my little boy, who’s so vulnerable to outside influences, should receive this new, controversial vaccine?
My husband and I starting taking a poll amongst our friends and family members, to which the results were completely split down the middle. Some said no, don’t do it, only give him the regular flu shot, others said yes, absolutely vaccinate for swine flu, you’re crazy not to. Our pediatrician said we should vaccinate. He said that doctors have been giving children vaccines for decades. Even the seasonal flu vaccine has a different composition each year so we should treat the swine flu shot as if we are giving him the regular seasonal flu shot. At this visit, my son left after having the regular seasonal flu shot and not the H1N1 shot. I needed more time to think about the subject and to discuss with my husband.
After countless conversations with friends in the medical field, friends with children the same ages and doing my online research at www.flu.gov and www.cdc.gov, I think we’re going to vaccinate. We haven’t done it yet, because the thought of giving my little guy two different flu strains in the same setting terrifies me but we’re going to vaccinate. Now all I need to do is get an appointment with the doctor’s office to vaccinate but they are completely booked. I guess that means that other parents are vaccinating too!
Please let us know your thoughts on the H1N1 vaccination and what you would do. Submitted by Heather Matthews, Guest Editor, Cancer Research Specialist at Patient Navigator LLC
We were recently on a radio show! Patricia Grace of Aging with Grace interviewed Elisabeth Russell October 26. If you are interested in hearing the types of things Patient Navigator can do to help you or a loved one, please listen in. We welcome your feedback.
Do you have a quick health care, medical, cancer care, chronic disease, caregiving, elder care or administrative or integrative care question you would like answered? Have you been getting lost in the medical information maze on the Internet? You don’t have to feel overwhelmed any longer. Stop searching!
Patient Navigator LLC is pleased to announce a new, free service. “Ask A Navigator” is designed to let users ask a quick question and get a quick answer. We have access to experts in many health care fields who have personal experience navigating many illnesses, conditions and aspects of our medical system.
I hope to have this service up on www.patientnavigator.com very soon.
In the meantime, you can ask your question directly here via the comment section on this blog and it will be answered here. If it’s something that would benefit others, please use this forum. Or send your question to: ask.a.navigator@patientnavigator.com
We look forward to helping you.