This is a picture from a patient’s perspective after breast cancer treatment in Norway. A long time after the treatment, she struggled with obtaining energy enough for everyday activity. Most people think that a cancer survivor is back to normal after a successful treatment. But this is not always the case. The reason I selected this picture is to try illustrating the rehabilitation, not just right after cancer treatment, but the years after. The patient tells me that it is a struggle to have symptoms no one can see, and it is also frustrating for the people around her. Some are not believed, and people are questing why they are not going back to work or doing the same every day activity. Is not always easy for the survivor, their family and friends to accept this new situation. What am I talking about when I say symptoms and new lifestyle?
Some experience fatigues. The cancer union’s website (kreftforeningen, 2019) writes that fatigue is a subjective experience of being tired and lack of energy. Some also struggle with their memory and concentration. This is an effect after cancer treatment, and about 10 to 35 percent of all cancer survivors have fatigue. Fatigue is a symptom with many possible causes and not a defined condition or diagnosis. It cannot be detected through blood tests or other examinations.
The cancer union means that movement and activity have been shown to reduce fatigue because good physical shape makes everyday life less demanding, which in turn can reduce the feeling of fatigue. They recommend fitness training such as cycling, dancing, aerobics, walking or swimming, as well as easy to moderate strength training to gently build muscle mass (Kreftforeningen, 2019). This picture shows a person that works out with her physiotherapist. The challenge is to find a certain level of activity without pushing the body too much, and that is something she finds out with her physiotherapist. I been talking to her and her therapist about how they approach this. They explained to me that they doing something called “energy economy”.
I found a description from Oslo university hospital (Oslo-universitetssykehus, 2010) that described this treatment for Myalgisk Encefalopati. Energy economy treatment can help you cope with the everyday activity without burning out. They say that it is recommended to practice activity matching (not to use more energy than you have), energy economy (to perform the activities that you do with the least possible energy consumption) and have a good rest afterword’s. Get a good balance between activity and rest (page 2).
She has been meeting up with a healthcare team to find out what she needs to do and what she wants to obtain with this. In Norway we have something called an individual plan. The Norwegian directorate of health (Helsenorge, 2015) are saying that any patients that need a longer term and coordinated health and care service have the right to have this individual plan. The plan should only be prepared if the person is willing. A coordinator must be offered even though the patient rejects the individual plan. Is all about the patient!
Bibliography
Helsenorge. 2015. Individuell plan og koordinator. Obtained from https://helsenorge.no/rettigheter/individuell-plan
Kreftforeningen. (2019). Fatigue: utmattelse. Obtained fromhttps://kreftforeningen.no/om-kreft/senskader/fatigue-tretthet/
Oslo-universitetssykehus. (2010). Aktivitetsavpasning og energiøkonomisering/ energibesparende metoder. Obtained from https://oslo-universitetssykehus.no/seksjon-avdeling/PublishingImages/avdelinger/medisinsk-klinikk/geriatrisk-avdeling/cfsme-senteret/Aktivitetsavpasning%20og%20energi%C3%B8konomisering%20energibesparende%20metoder%202017.pdf
One thought on “Borgen, Pia S. Life after Cancer!”
I really enjoyed your piece about the life of a patient after cancer. It is also so sad that people who does not know the patient will judge them if they can’t do a certain task. I have a lot of sympathy and empathy towards patients who have cancer or whom have survived. I also have empathy and sympathy to those families whom have lost a loved one.
Your text definitely caught my attention and i enjoyed reading this. I could’t find anything wrong with your grammar and enjoyed the fluency of your text.