Transcription:
Choose Hope

Announcer: Welcome to Conversations On Cancer, brought to you by the Riverside Cancer Institute, providing answers, debunking myths, and sharing patient stories.

Gabby Cinnamon (Host): Welcome back to Conversations On Cancer brought to you by the Riverside Cancer Institute. I am your host, Gabby Cinnamon. And today I'm joined by Barb Hartman, the Nurse Manager here at the Riverside Cancer Institute to talk about hope and the role hope can play in a patient's cancer journey.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Barb. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your experience as an oncology nurse?

Barb Hartman, RN, BSN (Guest): So I've been a nurse for a little over 27 years. All 27 years have been in the oncology field. I started as a CNA on an inpatient oncology unit. And when I graduated nursing school, took a role as a nurse on that unit and have stayed in oncology ever since. I really do feel it was my calling and what I was meant to do.

Host: So you have a lot of experience in oncology. Can you talk about some of the coping mechanisms that you've seen patients use to keep going after they've gotten a cancer diagnosis, which can be heavy diagnosis for a lot of people.

Barb: Yeah. Patients use many coping mechanisms throughout their illness. Although they become ill, many of them don't give up. Their bodies suffer, but their spirit still remains strong. No matter what stage a cancer patient may be in, setting short-term goals and long-term goals also play a big role in looking forward to life and going through their cancer journey. So whether the goals are, it's just a short term goal of coming to treatment every week, attending a wedding or a graduation, going for a walk every day. Just setting those goals, it gives them something to strive for and to look forward to, and to maybe not think about that cancer diagnosis for that moment.

Also by maintaining a positive attitude in setting those goals, again, it gives them something to look forward to and it helps them cope with their illness by maybe thinking about something else for that moment. A lot of patients use religion and the power of prayer to keep moving forward. So it's just, whatever is really important to them. And helping them get through their day to day journey.

Host: So similarly, what kind of coping mechanisms have you seen families with a loved one who's been diagnosed with cancer because while they're taking care of this person, especially if they are a main caretaker, it's also it becomes a big part of their life as well.

Barb: Caretakers really need to be taken care of too. It's something that's come to the forefront in oncology over the past several years. It's a lot on them. Sometimes it's just listening to their needs or listening to the needs of the patient. Sometimes family and friends just need to talk to somebody outside the situation, just to unload some of the burden that they're carrying to help them, help their loved one, get through the cancer journey. And sometimes it's whether they need you to fix a meal for them or take care of a pet or drive them to and from their treatment or help them get their loved one to and from treatment. Those are just some of the things we need to think about when the, for the caregiver, because they do carry a lot of emotional burden cause they just want what's best for their family member.

Host: What you've described, it sounds like the small things, small tasks they can all add up and, you know especially caretakers may be trying to handle a full-time job they have other things going on in their lives as well and their families. So, like you said, it's important to recognize that and realize that they need to make sure their emotional wellbeing is okay too.

Barb: Absolutely. We need to take care of the caregiver as well as the patient so that the patient can continue getting the treatment that they need.

Host: So hope, plays a big role in all of this I'm sure. And we define hope as the feeling that what is wanted can be had, or that events will turn out for the best. Can you talk about the role that hope plays for patients and their families in the cancer journey?

Barb: Sure. I always tell patients and families don't ever give up hope. Hope is the one thing that we can always hold on to. The journey may not be a long journey, but just holding out hope to maybe get them to those short term or longterm goals plays a huge role in how the patient gets through their journey. Even in our darkest times, hope can be that small ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds. And it can get you through one more day, one more week, one more month, one more year, whatever it needs to be for that patient. Sometimes it's just a little bump in the journey and we got to help them see past that bump that there's a long road ahead.

Host: When things, you know, have taken a negative turn or it seems like there really aren't that many other options, it's kind of hope that you would sounds like you'd have to rely on to get through and help the families get through as well. So in your experience as a nurse, how have you seen patients use hope to keep going throughout their cancer journey especially when things get difficult?

Barb: So sometimes it's just reminding them you know, you may be experiencing some side effects now, but this is what we can do to help you with those side effects. Let's not give up yet. There's other options, treatment options out there and just keeping the positive attitude and trying to look forward and relying on those around them. Just like I said, that little ray of sunshine sometimes peaking through the clouds is hard to see, but helping them see that it's there.

Host: Similarly, what advice do you give families or caregivers to cancer patients to maintain hope when their family member is sick? I can't imagine it would be a very difficult thing to see, you know, when your family member is going through treatment or they're going through a rough patch in their treatment. Is there any advice that you would give them if that's what they're going through?

Barb: I would just strongly encourage family and friends just to keep a positive attitude and encourage the patient when setting those, maybe even those little goals, it can be very tough, especially if the patient is having a rough time. But trying to keep that positive attitude and then they themselves reaching out to somebody to help them carry that burden so that they can be that positive role for the patient that's going through it. Again, it may just be a small goal for each day. Like let's take a walk around the house or let the patient know that we know it's tough, but you did it, just giving them that little bit of encouragement goes a long way.

Host: So you've talked a lot about positivity and you know, a little ray of sunshine here or there can make a huge difference in the patient and family's day. How do you think, overall positivity, and hope can help patients and their families?

Barb: I think positivity and hope play a big part in anyone's life that's been diagnosed with cancer or any other disease. I've seen patients say, I'm going to fight this and stay positive and they battle, and they may have their days where they don't feel the greatest, or they may be a little bit down, but just keeping that positivity can help them get to those goals. I've seen patients, and I can't imagine, how tough hearing that diagnosis is. I see patients that, they get past the original diagnosis and they just, they kind of give up. Things don't go as well. So, just having that little bit of positivity and hope in the background, I think plays a huge role in how they travel through their journey.

Host: So throughout the years through your career as an oncology nurse in your current role, are there any stories that come to mind or examples of how patients or their families have used hope to keep going and tough times?

Barb: Yeah. So, it's actually a personal story. I had a relative who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the age of 50 which is relatively young. Her daughter was still in college and pancreatic cancer can be a tough battle to fight. And she set her long-term goal of she wanted to see her daughter graduate from college. And so she went through surgery and chemo well, over three years later, she met that goal. She was able to see her daughter graduate from college. So just again, setting those long-term goals is sometimes can make a huge difference in somebody's will to battle and keeping hope and looking forward.

Host: That's an amazing story. And thank you so much, Barb for coming on the podcast today. I think that's a great point to end off on that hope goes a long way. Especially little things every day, to make the day better. So thank you so much for sharing all that. And thank you listeners for tuning into Conversations On Cancer brought to you by the Riverside Cancer Institute. For more information, visit Riversidehealthcare.org/cancer.