So, what does being authentic mean anyway? Is it just another one of those buzz words?
When you look around, there are various definitions, but words like reliable, genuine, trustworthy, and real are usually in there someplace.
Category: Stories
Palliative Care-much more than end of life Care
20-year-old patient: You’re never too young to get colorectal cancer
“I learned the reason right after my diagnosis: genetic testing showed I have Lynch syndrome. It’s a hereditary condition that makes me more likely to develop multiple cancers over my lifetime. I am the first person in my family to have it.”
How having Lynch syndrome has helped me
“If there’s anything good to be said about having Lynch syndrome, it’s probably that it made me eligible to participate in a clinical trial …”
Navigating Loss, Toxicity and Liberation: My Experience with Lynch Syndrome
….the importance of maintaining good mental health.
In these challenging times, my circle of friends became my lifeline. Their unwavering support guided me through this period of immense change.
“Your diet is not only what you eat. It’s what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, and the people you hang around. Be mindful of what you put into your body emotionally, spiritually and physically.”
The journey may be daunting, but it’s undoubtedly worth it.
Inheriting a Cancer Risk
No parent wants to pass a genetic mutation to their child. But once people know they have an increased risk of developing cancer, they can take proactive steps to ensure the best outcome.
Patients often have to make decisions based on incomplete information. But when people learn they have a genetic mutation that increases their risk of cancer, they can arm themselves with information, proactive screening measures and prophylactic procedures to mitigate the risk of getting the disease.
When oncologists like me rain bad tidings on patients, they need one thing above all….
Anxiety is infectious. The conduct of a doctor can trigger a ripple of anxiety or inject a sense of order, even when the news is unpleasant. Bearing the scars of past illness, returning patients are especially not looking to be shielded from reality.
What they want is for someone to give bad news andremain steadfastly in their corner.
As is unfortunately the case for many, you can rain bad tidings on people but if you steer the conversation with calm, compassion and most of all, a sense of shared humanity, they will find their feet. This is the part that I have found surprising to predict and moving to absorb.
So why do people not get tested?
Experts say that millions of people are walking around with a genetic variant that raises their risk of developing cancer. The vast majority of them have no clue.
That’s a problem, because people who know they’re at a higher risk for certain cancers can take action, like going for more frequent screening tests such as colonoscopies and mammograms or even having preventive surgeries.
“Doctors are not up on this”
Asked why so few people get tested, both researchers and patients say that “many cancer doctors aren’t familiar with the latest research on inherited risk or that they don’t know the cost of testing has dropped”
The Upsides and Downsides of Cancer Genetic Testing
“Living with a hereditary cancer syndrome inevitably brings uncertainty. Despite taking preventative measures, the knowledge of increased risk frequently lingers in my mind.“
https://www.curetoday.com/view/the-upsides-and-downsides-of-cancer-genetic-testing
Lynch Syndrome and me: Leanne’s story
“There are two things I want people to know. Firstly, the understanding about LS at all the different touch points in the NHS is amazing. Secondly, having LS isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I have the MSH2 variant. It’s not great to know all the associated risks, but it gives me the opportunity to better both my and my family’s future chances. It’s a blessing in disguise to discover this.”
“When we found out, we spoke with other family members as I felt that I needed to let them know. Some of my relatives came forward and got themselves tested to see if they could make the same informed decisions; others didn’t.”
Having this knowledge has enabled me to make decisions about my life.
Pinpointing pain: Is it cancer or cancer treatment?
Weird aches and pains abound after cancer treatment, making it hard for patients in remission to figure out whether they’re suffering a treatment side effect or experiencing the first whispers of a cancer recurrence.
“I see patients with different types of cancer and a lot of the time, they want to know ‘Is this pain related to recurrence or is it something else?’” said Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center’s Medical Director of Cancer Rehabilitation Hanna Hunter MD. “In a lot of cases, it’s something else.”
Lynch Syndrome Ireland 