Caregiver Support

When your spouse or another close family member is diagnosed with mesothelioma, you take on a new role: cancer caregiver. While caregiving for someone with a serious form of cancer like mesothelioma can seem overwhelming, it can also be a rewarding way to stay close to your loved one and to be of service during his time of need. Because of changes in the way medical care is given to cancer patients, mesothelioma patients often spend more time at home and less in the hospital. Your role as cancer caregiver is crucial. You may find yourself giving medication, changing dressings, and … [Read more...]

When we started the Mesothelioma Circle mesothelioma blog in 2012, our main goal was to connect with mesothelioma patients and their families, to share information about the latest treatments, rejoice in the success stories, and provide comfort where we could. Over the past five years, we have grown from a mesothelioma blog to a support network that reaches thousands of mesothelioma families through our website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. When we heard that Mesothelioma Circle had been recognized as one of the top mesothelioma blog websites, we took that as a sign that we are on the … [Read more...]

For mesothelioma caregivers, the holidays can be just one more burden in an already overburdened life, instead of a time of joy. That’s where you come in: you can bring the delight of the holidays back to the mesothelioma caregivers in your life. Mesothelioma caregivers carry a heavy load. Taking care of a loved one who is gravely ill is an extra full-time job on top of whatever they were already doing in their lives. They are on call 24/7. Holidays can add the weight of family expectations to this already big burden. There may be extra sadness because of the change in circumstances from … [Read more...]

Caring for a mesothelioma patient can be both challenging and rewarding – sometimes in the same moment. You appreciate the time you spend with your loved one. You want to make sure he or she has the best care possible, that all needs are met. Still, the burden of being responsible for another person’s well-being can be heavy. It’s easy for a cancer caregiver to feel the pressure to fulfill their roll and the stress of the responsibility of care for a loved one. It’s important to recognize the signs of cancer caregiver stress and implement appropriate steps to take care of yourself. If you … [Read more...]

Mesothelioma caregiving can feel overwhelming and lonely. You may not even know where to start. A good way to start may be putting together a mesothelioma caregiving team. Recall that “many hands make light work.” Also keep in mind that so many of the people around you – your family, friends, neighbors or people at your church – are going to be upset by the news of your loved one’s mesothelioma diagnosis. Doing something to help you with your mesothelioma caregiving will help make them feel better. So don’t think of building a mesothelioma caregiving team as asking someone for a favor. You … [Read more...]

A mesothelioma diagnosis is a life-changing event, not only for the patient but for his or her family as well which makes mesothelioma caregiving a large part of everyone’s life.  Here are some suggestions to help prepare you for mesothelioma caregiving- and some to help you take care of yourself in the process. Emotional Mesothelioma Caregiving  Whether the mesothelioma patient in your life is a spouse or a sibling or a parent, they may have a hard time receiving mesothelioma caregiving from you. Perhaps your husband was used to doing household repairs himself or your mother prides herself on … [Read more...]

When mesothelioma cancer strikes, the patient is not the only one whose life is irrevocably changed. If you are a caregiver for someone with mesothelioma cancer, you know this all too well. Your daily routine gets turned on its head by trips back and forth to medical appointments. Even when you plan your schedule around an appointment, the doctor’s visit can take hours longer than you anticipated. Your time in the waiting room can be stressful. It’s all too easy to worry about what’s happening on the other side of those swinging hospital doors or to fret over what the latest tests will show … [Read more...]

Mesothelioma care may seem overwhelming at first.  Although it may never be easy, mesothelioma care can be more manageable if you consider it in terms of meeting two major needs of a mesothelioma patient. Those are the need for safety and comfort. What these entail for mesothelioma care will vary with the individual and will change at different stages of the illness. Understanding the Levels of Mesothelioma Care As you start to learn more about mesothelioma, the lethal cancer caused by asbestos exposure, you will also need to learn more about mesothelioma care.  You will have to try to … [Read more...]

Your medical team will be a major source of mesothelioma help for you and your family.  But how do you make the most out of this important mesothelioma help?  You may be seeing multiple doctors and medical care providers including oncologists, radiologists and other specialists and it could get confusing. But whether you are going to your first mesothelioma appointment or a routine follow-up, trying to make sure you understand everything you’re being told from diagnosis to treatment plan is crucial. That may not be as easy as it sounds. You may understandably be feeling too emotionally … [Read more...]

Mesothelioma help is there for you and your family. Please feel comforted in knowing that there are many support groups and websites out there to help keep you informed and supported every step of the way. Some are patient-based and rely on an informal network of patients and families. Others are medically-based and are a feature of hospitals and medical organizations that treat mesothelioma and other cancers.  Other types of mesothelioma help comes from both government health departments such as the National Cancer Institute and non-profit health organizations like the American Cancer … [Read more...]