WHAT COMES After Cancer

New Program For Cancer Survivors Addresses The Question

BY STEPHANIE BOUCHARD

In January, the American Cancer Society announced that since 1991, cancer mortality has dropped 33 percent. Because of advances in cancer treatment, more people are surviving their diagnoses, living cancer-free, and in some cases even living with cancer as a chronic condition.

Along with more effective treatments has come the realization that those who survive cancer have different care needs than those in acute treatment, which is why cancer survivorship programs are now being incorporated into cancer care in hospitals across the U.S., including here in Maine.

The cancer survivorship program at Northern Light Cancer Care in Brewer was launched in 2019. Its purpose is to complement acute cancer treatment, said Elizabeth Dennis, MD, director of the cancer survivorship program. “The role of the cancer doctor is to be the expert [in treating cancer],” she explained. “My job is really to help people have a decent quality of life or to improve their quality of life after a cancer diagnosis and treatment for cancer.”

Cancer survivorship programs like Northern Light’s aim to address the physical, psychological, and sociological needs of cancer survivors.

“If you look at national surveys, and certainly my anecdotal experience has been patients are telling us, and they continue to tell us, that the current way that we deliver care to them is not comprehensive enough,” she said. “Many people express that it’s great to be done with treatment, but holy cow, now what?”

Aspects of care that Dennis and her team work on with the patients in the survivorship program include summarizing all the acute care treatment they received, creating a road map of what’s next, discussing possible late- and long-term physical, emotional, and financial effects of their treatment, reviewing with them wellness and lifestyle strategies to support their post-cancer treatment health in the immediate and long term, and connecting them to appropriate resources.

Northern Light’s cancer survivorship program is in its early stages, explains Dennis, but is growing. Currently, the survivorship program is focused primarily on adults with breast cancer, she says, with a small percentage of people with other types of cancers, such as adults who survived childhood cancer. There were 63 patient visits during the program’s first year; 331 in its third.

The program is in the process of expanding to include lung cancer patients. Each expansion is dependent on the health system’s buildup of staff resources, particularly nurse navigators, Dennis says, and the expertise particular to specific cancers.

In addition to being able to eventually open up the survivorship program to more cancer types, Dennis hopes that in the future the program will also be able to support patients living with chronic cancer. Right now, the program is only for those whose cancer has been treated with curative intent.

The patients Dennis and her team see in the survivorship program are identified from the cancer patients within Northern Light’s system. However, she says, they will see patients on a case-by-case basis who are not current cancer patients within the health system; for example, adults who were treated for cancer elsewhere but have moved to the area or were treated for cancer as children.

The care provided through the cancer survivorship program at Northern Light Cancer Care is medical care and is billed through a patient’s insurance as an office visit, although some of the services patients can access at the cancer center, such as head covering options or mastectomy fittings, are complimentary.

If you are interested in learning more about the cancer survivorship program at Northern Light, or participating in it, call (207) 973-7478.

BY KATIE SMITH

The warmer weather is here, and while many of us are spending more time outdoors, we still long to have our homes reflect the seasons. A lot of focus goes into making our homes cozy and homey during the cooler months. However, during the warmer months, it can boost our moods to have our habitat match what’s happening outside or mimic a favorite vacation spot.

Here are easy and inexpensive tweaks we can do as the days get longer and warmer to transform our home, making it feel lighter and brighter to reflect this refreshing time of year.

Clear The Clutter

One thing that can make a huge difference in our living space, allow more light to come in, and reduce anxiety, is to get rid of clutter. Maybe you’ve realized you don’t need as much furniture in your living room or you’ve gotten into the habit of building little piles on your countertops. Getting some great organization containers, big totes, or selling things you no longer use, can make your living quarters feel larger, cleaner, and more open. Start by organizing your closet and donating the clothing you don’t wear. You will notice immediately you feel lighter and are able to find what you are looking for faster. The same thing happens when we eliminate things from frequently used areas in our homes.

Getting rid of some stuff also allows you to envision other things in the space and give you a fresh outlook each time you walk in. Spring and summer is the perfect time to do that, not to mention it hardly costs a thing to get rid of stuff you aren’t attached to.

Bring Nature Inside

Maybe you love beachcombing and always find beautiful pieces of sea glass, shells, or rocks. Displaying them in a large glass vase or bowl is the perfect way to show them off and give your home a warmweather vibe.

Buy some fresh flowers or take a walk in your yard and see if you have anything that makes you feel happy. Cutting fresh ferns or wildflowers is a wonderful way to brighten up your home.

Planting fresh herbs and placing them on the window sill will make your surroundings feel healthy and lush. Not only will you have some new planting for this time of year, but you can also use all the fresh herbs in your summer recipes.

Change Out Pillows And Throws

Swapping out your accessories is a quick and easy task, and it can give your home an entirely new look. Consider cotton or linen throws instead of the heavier, chunkier ones we love in the winter. Changing your sheets to a lighter color or fabric can also give your space a quick makeover. You can also purchase pillow covers in different fabrics and colors to cover your existing pillows if you don’t want to invest in new ones. If you love to sew, take a trip to the fabric store and pick out some fresh, bright fabric.

Accent pieces such as wicker or rattan baskets and lamps are another simple way to bring in some springy accessories.

Repaint Trim

Many of us want to get outside as much as possible after hibernating all winter. That means we don’t want to spend hours on a big home project, so repainting a room is usually reserved for colder months. However, if you feel your home needs a quick perk-up, consider painting the trim. It’s a lot faster and cheaper than painting your entire home and will make it look cleaner.

Repaint Your Front Door

If you are craving more color outside of your home, this is the perfect time to give your house some spice by painting your outside doors. It’s a quick project that can be done in an hour or two and can transform the outside of your home.

Clean Windows

Right before the long days of summer, give your home a cleanse by washing all the windows. You will notice how much brighter and cleaner your house will look simply by giving your windows a good cleaning. If this is a dreaded chore, recruit family members to help or commit to washing two windows a day until they are done.

Giving your home a little facelift doesn’t have to break the bank. With a little time and elbow grease, you can give your home a completely new look.