OhioHealth Cancer Survivorship Lecture Series
Being told that you have been diagnosed with cancer is a life changing experience. All of the sudden, the focus for patients and their families shifts from what to make for dinner to things like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. But what happens when all of that is over and there is no more cancer? Who can patients turn to if they still have questions? Often, patients can feel lost at that time, when they are no longer regularly seeing their cancer physicians. And for patients currently going through cancer, they may also want time for fellowship with other survivors and hear tips from experts.
That’s why OhioHealth created the survivorship lecture series – an educational lecture for survivors and their families, based on topics important to them. The lectures are held on a quarterly basis at various OhioHealth care sites. So far, topics have included:
- Finding your new normal after cancer
- Prevention and detection of cancer (including learning about modifiable risk factors)
Those who act as support for patients, such as a family member or a friend, are invited, too. The next lecture will be on October 4 and focus on symptom management. There, experts will talk about handling things like lymphedema, recovering from surgery or dealing with the effects of radiation. Among the etiology of cancer and its treatment, patients are faced with several temporary and ongoing symptoms and side effects, including, pain, fatigue, depression, blood clots, skin conditions, weight gain/loss, etc. Our team will teach patients what symptoms to expect and how to manage them using resources available such as rehab, integrative medicine and palliative care.
“We started the series about six months ago in order to keep patients connected to cancer professionals,” said Mary Szczepanik, OhioHealth system director, quality of life. “Once they finish treatment, they can feel a little bit alone and not sure which of their doctors they should call with questions. We’ve had a great response. We’ve had lots of people register and come to the program.”
To register for the next lecture, which will be held on October 4 at 5:00 p.m. at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, click here. You can also register by calling OhioHealth CancerCall at (614) 566.4321 or 1 (800) 752.9119.
