The digital age and medical peace of mind

Not long ago I would have searched online to find

• Great recipes
• Places to dine
• Vacation packages
• Best selling novels
• Check my Facebook page

Recently I have used the full resources of this digital age to search the internet for information on Cervical Cancer and Diabetes to help me with my medical piece of mind. Within the last few months several people close to me have been diagnosed with serious medical condition, one with cervical cancer and the other with type 2 diabetes.

These two medical conditions are deemed silent diseases due to the fact that the person may not know that they have the condition until it is too late. This is why most physicians’ suggest that women get annual pap smear and that everyone have a routine physical with blood work.

Thankfully with my online research I have found that both medical conditions are treatable when detected early, although both have vastly different types of treatments. Cervical cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation and if spread to the other areas of the body chemotherapy while type 2 diabetes can be regulated with medication and diet. Yet if left untreated either of the two diseases is left untreated they can result in a loss of life.

Some of the credible sites that I found to learn more about these two diseases are the American Cancer Society and American Diabetes Association. The American Cancer Society’s website deals with all forms of cancer while the ADA only discusses diabetes. Both sites provide explanations of the disease, research taking place, success stories, and support group services as well as hyperlinks to other sites that can provide additional information.

So what does surfing the web have to do with medical peace of mind?

Think back to some of the clichés that we use in modern society. Knowing is half the battle, forewarned is forearmed, live and learn, failing to prepare is preparing to fail and so on. What does this mean? That by knowing what is happening a person can determine what needs to be done to conquer any or either of these two diseases.

This is one tattoo no one wants…

Have you every thought about getting some ink on your body?
Would it be a butterfly, ship, disney character or perhaps a heart with your loved ones name? What about freckles that triangulate a direction?

Several weeks ago my sister received a new tattoo. It was located on her abdomen. It was inked in blue and looks like freckles on her body. These freckles are to show the physicist where to administer a radiation treatment. This unwanted ink will be a permanent mark to remind her of a disease that she didn’t want and is working hard to eradicate from her body.

This was the beginning of her external radiation treatment to cure Cervical Cancer

They tell her that External Radiation is used in the first phase of her Cervical Cancer treatment. A machine directs high-energy rays at the cancer site. The treatments are usually painless and take less than 30 minutes. She will have a team the helps her during her treatments.

The Radiation Team usually consists of the

• Radiation Oncologists – This is the doctor who determines the type and amount of radiation for your treatment.
• Physicist - This is the person who sets the machine to disperse the correct amount of radiation
• Dosimetrist - Helps your doctor calculate the right amount of radiation
• Radiation Nurse - This is the nurse who you get to know quite well. This nurse tells you what you are going through and is there to help you through the process.
• Dietitian - Helps you to manage the side effects that can affect your diet
• Social Worker - Helps to arrange for community and at home services that may be needed
• Service Coordinator - This is your own personal concierge. This person greets you when you arrive, helps you to register and schedule future for your appointments, and points you to the right person to answer all questions.

How’s does digital age or social media help cancer patients?

Having cancer treatment can be a stressful time, getting together with others who are also having treatment is helpful. National Cervical Cancer and HPV Coalition has an online support area that connects patients, families, friends and caregivers for support and inspiration. One November 14th Facebook will have a Fan Page for Cervical Cancer Radiation Treatment Patients who will be able to connect with others who are going through cancer treatment or receive support from the virtual Facebook community.