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Palliative Care
The mistaken impression of palliative care is that it's something
that you do as an end-of-life issue.
The reality of palliative care is that it is the on-going communication
between doctor and patient to insure the comfort and desired quality
of life of the patient. It goes from being certain that care is
taken to prevent infection from a biopsy to understanding simple
side effects of diagnostic tests to the major conditions resulting
from surgery, radiation, hormonal and/or chemotherapeutic treatments.
It is the assurance that proper pain medication will be available
to you and administered effectively to permit you to live your life
without pain.
Above all palliation means that you must not accept pain, discomfort,
disabling side-effects or diminished quality-of-life; you MUST communicate
with your doctors at every step of the process to understand what
is to be done to you, what the possible side-effects are and how
you can deal with them.
We have enclosed here
an interview with Dr. Richard Payne, a foremost practitioner in
palliative care, who relates his own experience with prostate cancer
and gives us guidance on what we should require of our doctors.
Pain Management
National
Pain Foundation - information on traditional and alternative
treatments for pain.
Pain & Policy Studies Group - site provided by the University
of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center to promote pain relief
by improving public policy and communications.
National
Cancer Institute Pain Control Guide - about pain control for
people with cancer; how to work with your doctors, nurses, and pharmacists
to find the best method to control your pain; about different types
of pain medications and nondrug methods of controlling pain; how
to take your medicines safely; and how to talk with your doctors
and nurses about your pain and how well the treatment is working
for you.
American
Pain Foundation - Pain is not a condition to be endured; you
do not have to suffer as part of any therapy.
Partners
Against Pain - comprehensive site for patients, caregivers,
advocates and healthcare professionals
Pain.com - a
database of clinics that treat pain
Patient Advocate Foundation - through their Co-Pay Relief Program, PAF has launched a pain and nausea disease fund to serve patients suffering with chronic pain.
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associated with side effects from treatment and/or the progression of the disease are not always addressed. Dr. Biren Saraiya has contributed a PowerPoint presentation that can be seen 
