I have decided to name this new stage of the cancer journey as "proactive palliative care". This is to differentiate an active approach towards healing and wellbeing from what might be understood as a more passive response to disease progression.
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| P r o a c t i v e P a l l i a t i v e C a r e |
Under the rubric of "proactive palliative care" I will continue to assertively engage in treatment options which reduce pain, prolong life, and otherwise keep me in good health through this stage, however long it may last!
Palliative care (from Latin palliare, to cloak) is an area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients... Palliative medicine utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, relying on input from physicians, pharmacists, nurses, chaplains, social workers, psychologists, and other allied health professionals in formulating a plan of care to relieve suffering in all areas of a patient's life. This multidisciplinary approach allows the palliative care team to address physical, emotional, spiritual, and social concerns that arise with advanced illness. Wikipedia 2012
Sacral Cementoplasty
I continue to be awed by the incredible array of technological innovation brought to bear in contemporary cancer care. The most recent procedure I have undergone while a patient at the BC Cancer Agency Hospital is known as "Sacral Cementoplasty". This radiological intervention involved the insertion, and radiological guidance, of a needle through the fracture plane of my sacrum beginning at the left sacroiliac joint. A fast-acting plastic cement was injected through the needle upon its withdrawal to stabilize the fracture and reduce the pain.
After two weeks I am happy to report that I have been virtually pain-free since the procedure, which is truly awesome! As a measure of my pain level I am once again able to concentrate enough to read, which I was unable to do since shortly after Christmas.
For all of this, again, I am eternally grateful!
Peace and blessings... Rob; in Vancouver
