cancer care

First Steps When a Loved One Has Cancer

Cancer is a disease that impacts millions of individuals and families alike across the world each year. Whether you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with cancer, knowing how to face the challenges ahead and make a plan of action is essential. Learn how to care for cancer.

Get Educated

Learning about various types of cancer, stages, and treatment options can go a long way when you or a loved one is diagnosed. When you feel knowledgeable discussing the topic of cancer, facing cancer head-on can feel less tedious, stressful, and daunting. The more educated you become about cancer treatments today and their overall effectiveness, the easier it is to face the obstacles and challenges that cancer poses without feeling defeated.


Discuss Treatment Options

Discuss all of the treatment options that are available for the cancer you or your loved one is trying to overcome. Because not all cancers affect the body in the same way, it is important to research all of your options and various treatments that may be best for you or your loved one, based on your current health and any other conditions you have. Specialized cancer clinics, such as a prostate cancer clinic, can help you find the specific needs for the relevant form of cancer.

Respect Your Loved One’s Decisions

Always respect your loved one’s decisions after they have received a diagnosis of cancer. While it is not always easy to accept that a loved one may not want to seek treatment for late-stage cancers, it is important to remain respectful of their choices and decisions throughout the journey. If you are the one struggling with a cancer diagnosis, you will likely request that your friends and loved ones respect your decisions.

The Importance of Support

Building a support group is one of the most important steps to take when you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. Mental, emotional, and moral support can drastically improve the healing process and the process of facing cancer treatments such as chemotherapy directly. Always strive to build a support group for yourself or any loved one you know who is undergoing cancer treatments. With a powerful support group, improve your mood and your ability to remain optimistic while fighting your cancer diagnosis at any stage and regardless of your choice of treatment.

Understanding the significance of a cancer diagnosis is imperative whether you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed. Once you have a clear understanding of the cancer you are dealing with, treatment options, and medications available, you can then move forward with taking the necessary actions to help treat it.

preemie care

Preemie Care for Baby’s Growth – After NICU

Taking a baby home from the NICU is a relieving experience for parents, but this can also be nerve wracking time as well. Parents must be sure to provide their baby with all the tools they need to grow into healthy children. The following four preemie care tips will help parents ensure their babies are growing properly.

Read to Your Baby

Parents with premature babies must focus on exercises and activities that help to stimulate their child’s brain development. Reading is an important activity that will help to facilitate a child’s growth. According to scientists, the earlier parents read to babies, the more prepared they will be for the rigors of school once they start kindergarten.

While reading to children is important for all babies, preemies especially benefit from this activity for two reasons. Reading helps nourish brain growth and development while serving as an important way for parents to bond with their child. Research shows that even in the NICU, reading to preemies helps foster this bond between parent and child.

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Try Kangaroo Care

Kangaroo Care or skin-to-skin contact is another essential way for parents to help their premature babies grow. This intervention technique is a practical way for parents to comfort their child and help them bond. With both mom and dad providing Kangaroo Care, babies are able to feel parents’ heartbeats, smell their scent, sense their voices, and feel the sensation of skin-on-skin. This experience helps to release oxytocin for both parents and the baby, allowing the baby to feel safe and calm while reducing stress.

Encourage Play Time

Parents hoping to encourage their premature babies to grow should engage in playtime. This supervised playtime can include stuffed animals for babies, songs, stories, massage and similar activities that stimulate the various senses. This playtime will help babies feel secure and loved while encouraging brain development and further growing the bond between baby and parent.


Add Supplements to Breast Milk

Parents with premature babies must pay special attention to their baby’s weight gain and nutrition. As preemies have different needs than babies born full-term, parents need to make sure their baby has the proper balance of nutrition and fluids. Premature babies that are breastfeeding will benefit from nutritional supplements added to the breast milk.

Parents should consult their child’s doctor to determine exactly what supplements to give their baby. Typically, preemies will benefit from vitamins D, C, A, calcium, iron, calories, folic acid, and additional protein.

Babies that are born prematurely need extra care to make sure they are on track with their growth and development. With the above four strategies, parents with preemies will be able to make sure their children stay healthy.