(BPT) - “Caregiver” is a title held by more than 65 million people in the United States, who are currently helping a loved one manage a chronic condition. A caregiver can be a significant help for those living with a chronic disease as part of a patient’s health care team, but there can also be many challenges, especially for those caring for patients with cancer. Not only do caregivers provide emotional strength and support, but often also help a patient with daily needs, such as filling prescriptions or scheduling doctors’ appointments.
At an educational event recently held for those living with the blood cancer, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), caregivers had the opportunity to ask questions of medical experts. In honor of November’s National Caregiver Month, Dr. Eric Feldman, director of hematological malignancies at Weill Cornell Medical College, provides advice for a few commonly asked questions:
kAmw@H 42? 42C68:G6CD >2?286 E96:C C@=6 2D A2CE @7 E96 A2E:6?E’D 962=E9 42C6 E62>nk^Am
kAmq6:?8 2 42C68:G6C 42? 36 @G6CH96=>:?8[ 2?5 D@>6 :>A@CE2?E E:AD :?4=F56ik^Am
kAmY t5F42E:?8 J@FCD6=7i $E2J:?8 H6==\:?7@C>65 23@FE J@FC =@G65 @?6’D 4@?5:E:@? H:== >2<6 J@F 2 >@C6 G2=F23=6 C6D@FC46 7@C E96>] u@C 6I2>A=6[ H:E9 r|{[ E96 42?46C\42FD:?8 6?KJ>6 q4C\p3= :D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C D6?5:?8 D:8?2=D E@ AC@5F46 42?46C@FD H9:E6 3=@@5 46==D] z?@H:?8 23@FE E96 5:D62D6[ :?4=F5:?8 H9:49 >65:42E:@?D 2C6 56D:8?65 E@ DA64:7:42==J 24E 282:?DE E9:D 6?KJ>6[ 42? 96=A J@F E@ 36 2? 24E:G6 A2CE:4:A2?E :? @?8@:?8 EC62E>6?E 5:D4FDD:@?D]k^Am
kAmY w6=A:?8 EC24< C6DF=EDi rC62E:?8 2 “C6DF=ED ;@FC?2=” H9:49 :D 565:42E65 E@ DE@C:?8 E6DE C6DF=ED 2=@?8 H:E9 9:D^96C E6DE:?8 52E6D 42? 96=A 2 A2E:6?E <66A EC24< @7 E9:D :?7@C>2E:@?] (:E9 r|{ A2E:6?ED[ EC24<:?8 E96 =6G6=D @7 q4C\p3= :D :>A@CE2?E 7@C >@?:E@C:?8 E@ D66 :7 E96 A2E:6?E 92D C624965 E96 =@H6DE =6G6= @7 5:D62D6]k^Am
kAmY y@:?:?8 2 42C68:G6C DFAA@CE 8C@FAi vC68 $E6A96?D[ 7@F?56C 2?5 5:C64E@C @7 E96 }2E:@?2= r|{ $@4:6EJ[ FC86D 42C6E2<6CD E@ 4@??64E H:E9 @E96CD 8@:?8 E9C@F89 D:>:=2C 6IA6C:6?46D 2D 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ =62C? ?6H H2JD E@ 96=A 2 =@G65 @?6] %96D6 D2>6 4@??64E:@?D 42? 2=D@ 36 2 D@FC46 @7 6>@E:@?2= DFAA@CE]k^Am
kAm(92E :D E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E E:Ank^Am
kAmxE’D :>A@CE2?E E@ ?@E 7@C86E 23@FE J@FCD6=7 – 6G6? :7 :E >62?D D2J:?8 “?@” E@ J@FC =@G65 @?6] (96? 32=2?4:?8 E96 ?665D @7 E96 A2E:6?E[ :E 42? 36 62DJ E@ 7@C86E J@FC @H?] ~?6 @7 E96 >@DE 4@>>@? 492==6?86D :D DEC6DD[ 3FE 36:?8 DEC6DD65 42? 2=D@ >2<6 :E 92C56C 7@C J@F E@ AC@G:56 42C6] $@ >2<6 DFC6 E@ E2<6 E:>6 7@C J@FCD6=7] %9:D H:== 96=A J@F 36 E96C6 E@ 96=A J@FC =@G65 @?6 2D 36DE 2D J@F 42?]k^Am
kAmr2? J@F AC@G:56 D@>6 25G:46 7@C =@?8\5:DE2?46 42C68:G:?8nk^Am
kAm!C@G:5:?8 42C6 5@6D?’E 92G6 E@ 36 C6D6CG65 E@ @?=J E9@D6 72>:=J >6>36CD 2?5 7C:6?5D H9@ =:G6 4=@D6DE E@ E96 A2E:6?E] u@C E9@D6 H9@ =:G6 72CE96C 2H2J[ D@>6 DF886DE:@?D :?4=F56ik^Am
kAmY !=2??65 G:D:EDi $66:?8 J@FC =@G65 @?6 :? A6CD@?[ 2D @7E6? 2D J@FC D4965F=6 2==@HD[ 42? 36 2 G6CJ :>A@CE2?E H2J E@ D9@H J@FC DFAA@CE 7@C E96 A2E:6?E 2?5 2=D@ 7@C E9@D6 42C68:G6CD H9@ =:G6 4=@D6DE] q6 DFC6 E@ E2=< H:E9 E96> 29625 @7 E:>6 23@FE H92E J@F >2J 36 23=6 E@ 5@ E@ 96=A] yFDE 3642FD6 J@F =:G6 2 8C62E6C 5:DE2?46 7C@> E96 A2E:6?E[ 5@6D?’E 92G6 E@ >62? E92E J@F 42??@E 36 2? :?E68C2= A2CE @7 E96:C DFAA@CE ?6EH@C<] w2G:?8 2 A=2? :? A=246 H:== <66A J@F 7C@> 86EE:?8 @G6CH96=>65 2?5 DEC6DD65]k^Am
kAmY %9:?< 4C62E:G6=Ji u@C A2E:6?ED 2?5 42C68:G6CD[ :E :D :>A@CE2?E E@ 92G6 9@?6DE 2?5 @A6? 5:D4FDD:@?D H:E9 962=E9 42C6 AC@G:56CD D@ E96J 42? A=2J 2 >@C6 24E:G6 C@=6 :? 5:D62D6 >2?286>6?E] u@C 72>:=J >6>36CD^42C68:G6CD H9@ =:G6 72C 2H2J[ E9:D 42? 36 2 492==6?86] $E6A96?D DF886DED E92E :7 J@F 42??@E 2EE6?5 2AA@:?E>6?ED :? A6CD@? E92E J@F 5:D4FDD H:E9 J@FC =@G65 @?6 H2JD :? H9:49 J@F 42? 36 >@C6 :?G@=G65 H:E9 E96:C D4965F=65 2AA@:?E>6?ED 3J A9@?6 @C E6=64@?76C6?46] %96 A2E:6?E’D 5@4E@C >2J 2=D@ @776C 4C62E:G6 H2JD 7@C J@F E@ 36 >@C6 :?G@=G65]k^Am
kAm(96C6 42? x 8@ E@ 7:?5 >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 42?46C 2?5 E96 C@=6 @7 42C68:G6CDnk^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 42?46C[ G:D:E E96 }2E:@?2= r|{ $@4:6EJ Wk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]?4>=D]@C8QmHHH]?4>=D]@C8k^2mX] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 E@ 4@??64E H:E9 @E96C r|{ A2E:6?ED 2?5 42C68:G6CD[ G:D:E E96 }@G2CE:D DA@?D@C65 D@4:2= ?6EH@C<:?8 D:E6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]4>=62CE9]4@>^:?56I];DAQmHHH]4>=62CE9]4@>k^2m]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`d_bcU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`d_bcU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
