Premium Essay

Dealing with Cancer

In:

Submitted By fordfield42
Words 1832
Pages 8
Cancer: Disability Paper

Cancer. This single word consisting of six letters can change someone’s life in a heartbeat.
Imagine yourself or a loved one sitting in a doctor’s office, awaiting the results to see if cancer is the diagnosis. You’re sitting in silence holding each other’s hand, watching the clock tick slowly before hearing a faint knock on the door. As the doctor walks in, his face says it all and he does not need to say a single word. It’s hard to listen to what he is saying, because all you can think about is, “my life is over,” “this can’t be happening to me,” and “I’m dying”.
Those were some of the exact same thoughts my dad was thinking when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer about thirteen years ago. Fortunately for himself and our family, he is now cancer free. At that time of the diagnosis, I was young and did not understand the depth of cancer, and that’s why I decided to write this paper. Cancer doesn’t care about your age, race, or religion, but when it strikes someone you know, it hits home. In the book, “ A World Without Cancer,” Dr. Margaret Cuomo (2012) describes cancer as, “Malignant tumors often look crablike, their irregular extensions resembling crustacean claws” (p.23).
What exactly is cancer? There are over 100 different types of cancers such as: breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and kidney cancer, to just name a few. According to the American Cancer Society (2014),” although there are many kinds of cancer, all cancers start because abnormal cells grow out of control.” Understanding the basic premise of what cancer is, digging deeper shows how cancer starts to develop. Cancer is name after where it starts to develop in the human body. Cancer has one basic characteristic, which is uncontrollable cell growth. It can take years for the cells to become cancerous. In our bodies the cells have a strict repetitive pattern that

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Personal Narrative: My Experience Of Dealing With Cancer

...I have had very little experience in my life when it comes to dealing with cancer but that does not mean that I have not known someone who had to battle the disease. My uncle was diagnosed with male breast cancer five years ago and my high school track coach was diagnosed with lung cancer four years ago. The tissue that is mostly affected by breast cancer is the glandular tissues which is a form of epithelial tissues. The tissue that I believed is mostly affected by lung cancer is the loose connective tissue which is a form of connective tissue. Loose connective tissue surrounds many internal organs and the lung is an internal organ. My uncle and track coach both were treated with chemotherapy for their cancer. The steps that I think society...

Words: 339 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Psychological Trauma of Cancer

...Psychological Trauma of Cancer LaHoya Blount COM/172 November 15, 2011 Cassandra Baker Abstract After reading this research paper, it is understood how both men and women cope with the diagnosis of cancer as well as the psychological trauma they experience. Both positive and negative coping styles that patients experience are explained in this paper. Information is given that compares and contrast upon gender concerning patients’ posttraumatic stress disorder and the psychological trauma they face. Sources and coping styles are included that may become helpful in handling the emotional and physical trauma patients may have. Psychological Effects of Cancer Many Americans are diagnosed with various forms of cancer every day. Once diagnosed with cancer the patient go through some form of psychological trauma. Psychological trauma also known as post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with a specific medical illness in this paper it is cancer. Depending on the gender of the patient, the news of having been diagnosed with cancer takes each patient through some difficulties. Although all patients have to deal with being diagnosed with cancer, there are differences and similarities in each gender when dealing with the psychological trauma of cancer (Hagger & Orbell, 2006; Hampton, 2000). Men and women face emotional and physical trauma during treatment of cancer. Both men and women go through depression and anxiety. Men deal with the diagnosis of cancer more positively...

Words: 1523 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Psychology and Health Problems

...health. CHD, or Coronary Heart Disease, is one of the major causes of death in the United States. This disease can cause heart attacks and strokes due to stress and unhealthy habits that can be caused by stress such as smoking cigarettes, overeating, or not eating healthy (U.S. Department of Human Services, www.hhs.org). Other elements that can lead to Coronary Heart Disease can be family history but problems associated with this disease can be seriously lowered by eating a healthy diet and exercise which can help to reduce stress due to the frustrations at work and at home (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.hhs.org). The physician would use the multifactorial model to figure out which elements a person might be dealing with along...

Words: 1287 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Dddd

...Compare My zodiac sign, Cancer, has a huge impact on my personality. Cancer, the zodiac sign, has a maternal instinct and loves to nurture others. Due to the fact that Cancers are associated with the element water, its mascot is known as “The Crab”. The Crab’s hard protective outer shells, tends to make the Cancer’s traits and characteristics loving, genuine, sensitive, protective over their love ones, and most of all moody. The emotional Cancer has the tendency to hold their feeling in about almost anything, such as personal problems that they’re dealing with. Being a Cancer has a lot to do about my personality. I feed off of people’s energies and become extremely loyal to them. I’m protective over the ones I love, and tend to put all their wants and needs before mine. No matter what the situation is, I’m always looking out and being there for anyone and they don’t have to be someone that I’m extremely close to; that’s just me in general. I wouldn’t necessarily define myself as being moody 99.9% of the time, I’m only moody when I’m irritated by something/someone. When I’m dealing with problems of my own, I have the tendency to hold all my emotions in. I’m sensitive and caring, and most of the time I let my emotions get the best of me. Being a cancer has it’s pros and cons, but mostly pros. The fact that we’re loyal to our loved ones is a huge pro in our book. The ability to feed off of someone’s energy, is one of the special gifts we have. Caring, loving, and sensitivity...

Words: 333 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Coping with Childhood Cancer

...Coping With Childhood Cancer For a parent, there is nothing quite as unnerving as receiving the news that your child has been diagnosed with Cancer. Not only the parents are affected, but also the siblings and other family members. Life for the family instantly changes. Parents must be away from work. Siblings might need to be cared for by relatives or friends. The child (patient) becomes the major focus of family time and attention. All other concerns are put on hold. This all happens in a very short period of time. Families that have been and are going through this feel like they're on an emotional roller-coaster. These families all feel varying levels of shock, fear, guilt, sadness, anxiety, and anger. They are unprepared to handle the fact that the child has a life threatening illness. This is probably because the previous experience with someone they know who had or has a similar diagnosis is usually an older person, not someone as young or close to home as this diagnosis is. When a child or teen is diagnosed with cancer, families and parents will need to learn as much about the disease as possible. Most importantly, they will need to learn how to cope and move forward after the diagnosis, about dealing with the early and late effects of treatment, and about preparing for what may be down the road. It is very important to understand the effect this diagnosis can take on different members of the family. This...

Words: 2421 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Raise or Lower Tuition

...Final Paper Christopher A. Malloy PHI 445: Personal & Organizational Ethics Instructor: Sandra Watts June 3, 2013 Final Paper The two organizations I will be focusing on throughout the course are two organizations I have actually donated to. The not-for-profit organization is the American Red Cross and the for-profit organization is Cancer Treatment Center of America. Being in the military and having a family member to have passed from cancer, these two organizations are dear to me and my family. The American Red Cross of America is the type of organization that produces products to support disaster relief, supporting the military families, health and safety training and education, blood drives for lifesaving blood and international services. The majority of their employers are volunteers that have been involved with the Red Cross because of the help they received during a disaster or life-changing event in their family. Their customers are the American people during times of disaster such as tornado, flood, fire or earthquake victims. Their customers are also, internationally whenever disaster strikes. So the treatment of them both, such always is fair and impartial. The American Red Cross manufactures their product through corporate and foundation funding, community partners, individual major donors and a national celebrity cabinet. The way they utilize their product is by teaching their employers and customers how to prepare their home and family, school...

Words: 3025 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

The Facts on Renal Cell Carcinoma

...The Facts on Renal Cell Carcinoma Carla Henthorn COM/156 5/30/14 Craig Carroll Did you know that the renal cell cancer (RCC) represents 2% of all cancers and about 5% of all epithelial carcinomas (Haase, 2012)? Renal cell carcinoma is a rare but treatable cancer, and collecting duct carcinoma is the rarest of kidney cancers. Renal cell carcinoma and collecting duct carcinoma come in many forms, and can grow to large masses undetected for years without signs or symptoms. By knowing your family history you can assess your risk factors, and possibly prevent getting this disease. Keeping up to date with your yearly exams and tests can prevent or at least catch it early enough to treat and or cure it. In the event you or a loved one does end up with renal cancer, joining a support group such as a greif support, would be beneficial in helping to deal with all the aspects of dealing with having cancer. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common primary malignant (cancerous) renal tumor affecting approximately 170,000 patient per year worldwide (Haase, 2012). With the death toll of about half of that per year. Although renal cell carcinoma is treatable, it can and has gone undetected by signs or symptoms for years. It is not until the patient notices a lump on their side that is uncomfortable when bending over that they suspect something is abnormal. Often the lump is not painful, it is just bothersome. This is how it can fully metastasize (spead to other organs or tissues) before...

Words: 1515 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Health Resource Paper

...that is very prevalent is cancer. Almost every family has been affected by cancer some way or another. According to American Cancer Society (n.d.), “Cancer is the general name for a group of more than 100 diseases. Although there are many kinds of cancer, all cancers start because abnormal cells grow out of control. Untreated cancers can cause serious illness and death.” Breast Cancer Breast cancer is one of the many cancer diseases. Breast cancer is a cancer that forms in the cells of the breast. Breast cancer normally affects women more than men, but men can also be victims of breast cancer. American Cancer Society (n.d.) website states, “There are more than 3 million United States cases of breast cancer per year.” There are factors that may increase the risk of a women getting breast cancer but some factors are unavoidable. The Presence of Cancer in the Community of Health Care Consumers Being diagnosed with any kind cancer is an emotional ride for all people involved. The patient, family, caregivers, and friends may all experience anxiety when it comes to cancer. Support for consumers and other people involved is a critical process in dealing with cancer. Many think only about the medical needs for cancer patients but other needs also have to be addressed. Another issue is that patients and families many times are not financially prepared for the expenses that come along with the diagnoses and treatment for cancer. According to American Cancer Society (n.d.), “Some people...

Words: 980 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Future Health Care

...then there can be experiments to help prevent them from hurting the person. The procedures can involve removing the gene or maybe altering the gene to make it not infectious or dangerous. Some of the genetic disorders are Down syndrome, sickle cell disease, and cystic fibrosis. There are many situations like cancer that deal with genetic issues. Cancer is caused by genetic problems. The cell does not go through the correct cell cycle. Therefore, creating the cancerous cells. The discoveries of all of the disorders can help with finding solutions to help prevent diseases from hurting the human body (www.curisosity.discovery.com). When having knowledge about genetic issues is known then diseases and cancers can be prevented. In the future, I believe that the human genome project will be a reality. Funding is a huge factor to why the project has not been created completely. The information needs to be gathered to prevent illnesses from being created. DNA mutations cause a lot of issues for human life. People can survive with genetic mutations. However, the mutations can cause issues with the quality of life. Ethical issues will probably always be the key issue when dealing with this specific project. The reason I feel ethical standpoints...

Words: 1260 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Cancer What It Is and Its Effects

...Cancer: What It Is and Its Effects Cancer: What It Is and Its Effects Tricha M. Ramos University Of Phoenix COM/156 8/24/2014 Instructor: Gina Greco Cancer: What It Is and Its Effects Throughout the years there has been a disease attacking many people. It is the year 2014 yet there is still no cure for it. Many people, even those with the illness are unaware of what it truly is, what causes it and where it comes from. Doctors have worked hard for many years to find ways to reverse this disease and have discovered treatments that help combat different types of cancer. In the meantime, all patients who live with cancer go through various obstacles. In the world, there are people in the public eye (i.e.\ famous people, celebrities) that have experienced cancer and their examples are valuable ones to learn from. Cancer is a multi-dynamic disease being that it affects the patient their family, friends and society in various ways. Cancer is a mysterious disease with many different forms; it is a simple name for more than 100 diseases. These illnesses are caused by uncontrollable cell growth that spread throughout the body. Cancer also appears as growing tumors formed by the body that can interfere with the body's function. As the cells in a certain part of the body start to grow out of control, they invade other tissues in the surrounding area. Unlike normal cells, these cells don't die. They continue to grow and form new-abnormal cells. DNA is in every single cell...

Words: 1329 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Angry

...lately because I am not really sure what to say… First of all I’m still cancer free! And still dealing with the big can of worms we call my intestines that were damaged while we kicked cancers ass. The pain is the same, constant, nagging, unrelenting, stabbing, tiring, annoying, at times unable to stand up straight, cough or breathe deep without wanting to scream or slam my hand on a counter and yell about how unfair this is, I am so done with it. My digestion is so, so. On a good day I can eat and actually keep the food in without wanting to just cry. On a bad day, it seems like the minute I get food in my intestines they scream EVACUATE! I tend to drink all my food on days I work so I don’t have to deal with it. . After all of this is done with my gut I am never having a milk shake again in my life! I am so happy and grateful to be cancer free that it seems almost petty to be complaining about pain, about my gut, about being down right angry & pissed & scared all at once. They say there are 5 stages of grief people go through… 1. Denial & isolation 2. Anger 3. Bargaining 4. Depression and 5. Acceptance These 5 stages don’t necessarily go in any order. I know I have totally hit all of these stages over the last two years dealing with cancer and surgery and recovery and now lately I just feel like I am stuck, stuck in the stupid anger stage. Angry I had cancer, angry every time I look at my hand or feel the pain, angry when I get...

Words: 797 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Health Care Model Analysis

...models that have been proposed throughout the decades. Some models have been successful and many have failed. There are still a few that are being examined today. This paper will explain a hypothetical medical case that is often seen in hospitals. Four different models will demonstrate how this case and patient could benefit if this model was in play. Hypothetical Case: A 67 year old man presents to the ER with a chronic cough and shortness of breath. He denies sputum production from the cough, but admits to a 20-pound weight loss over the past four months. He has a 30-year pack history of smoking and worked in a shipyard for 25 years. His mother died from lung cancer and his father died of heart disease. His medical history includes hypertension and diabetes type 2. He has no history of surgeries or cancers. After studies were completed he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Medical Model: The medical model will define health as the absence of illness rather then the presence of health. This model uses clinical diagnosis and medical interventions to treat disease and to try to prevent disease with education of medical processes (Shi and Singh 2012). In the patient presented above, the first step would be to obtain a chest x-ray and further tests to concluded the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. The next steps in the medical model would be in implement medications such as chemotherapy, radiation or surgical removal of the tumor. Tumor removal...

Words: 1257 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Ethics and Leadership

...trial for the crime that they committed, or help them find out what is wrong with a person. This way the person can figure out what is wrong with them so they do not feel like a burden. When you look at the some of the moral responsibilities that a psychiatrist is that they can be told all kinds of things and have to keep it between themselves and their clients. This could be a problem if the person is suffering from these problems. This can be a moral issue, because, of what may come up during this session. If a person has committed a crime or something they cannot go to the police with this info. That is one of the moral issues that can come up when dealing with some of the clients out there. As leader in this field, you must keep all of this in mind, when dealing with people and their mental disorders. When dealing with one’s mental disorders you must make light of them, without making them feel uncomfortable, but also get them to talk about what is wrong with them. Sometimes these mental disorders can be locked inside someone for years before they come out and cause problems in someone’s life. One way of finding out if these problems to run test on clients that already do have these problems and see if there is any kind of similarity from one person to another. This would be a way to see if people have certain types of these metal disorders. This could help discover other issues that come up in people. With this way of testing can bring up ethical...

Words: 706 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Breast Cancer

...Every women needs to know the facts the facts when it comes to breast cancer, every women is at risk. “Breast cancer is a multi-dynamic disease which affects the patient, the patient’s family, and society in various ways.” People should care about breast cancer because it kills men and women. It takes your friends and family members away. Now that breast cancer is being detected at an earlier stage, women are able to be treated before the cancer gets worse. Learning how many women get breast cancer and how many women die each year from the terrible disease shows me that getting and mammogram early they can detect the cancer and ultimate save women and men lives. I will be discussing about how breast cancer affects the patient, the patient’s family and society. Breast cancer can affect people in many different ways. Finding out that you have breast cancer can cause you stress like uncertainly of your future, the unpredictability of the cancer, disability, and financial difficulties. You can also be stress out about your physical appearance after a mastectomy. Losing your hair after chemotherapy, and your skin changing from the radiation therapy. You feel that everybody is going to look at you differently because you have cancer. Common signs of stress are disturbed sleep, fatigue, body aches, pain, anxiety, irritability, tension, and headaches. You can reduce stress by keep a positive attitude, accept that there are events you cannot control, be assertive instead of aggressive...

Words: 2472 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

My Sisters Keeper

...illness and death, the people that know the individual, usually the family, are affected, too. In My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, Kate Fitzgerald is diagnosed with Leukemia, which affects every member of her family. The Kubler-Ross’ cycle of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance explains how each family member deals with Kate’s death and grief. Each member has a different way of dealing with Kate’s death. A chronic illness doesn’t affect just the person who has it, but also the people around the person. The Fitzgerald’s are all devastated and are full of grief throughout Kate’s struggle and death from Leukemia. The main character, Anna Fitzgerald, shows her acceptance of the Kubler-Ross cycle. Anna hates to admit that her sister will die regardless of what the family tries to do. Therefore, she tries to save herself and Kate from any more suffering by gaining legal rights to do what she wants to do with her body despite what her parents tell her. Anna knows that her parents, especially her mother, Sara, will go to any extremes to make Kate win the battle against cancer or at least live longer. Anna feels like winning the case will make her parents realize that Anna, too, has a right to live a normal life with a normal childhood. She’s accepted that Kate will soon die and doesn’t want to see Kate suffer any longer. Anna also feels that she’s doing Kate a favor by no longer suffering in a life where Kate has zero to little chance of surviving. Anna doesn’t tell...

Words: 1283 - Pages: 6