lgoins

Trust me, this is definitely good. I never stop learning. I have inserted a link to the ONS library page (you'll probably have to cut & paste). Even though this won't help your case study homework, it's an incredible read. It is a personal journal of an Oncology nurse & his journey with cancer. http://www.ons.org/xp6/ONS/Library.xml/ONS_Publications.xml/Diary/Main.xml

Paula, Feel free to PM me. You're in my prayers while you wait for your report. I am on a short break from my chemo. I had to stop my pump on Tuesday due to blisters and ulcers in my mouth, plus a bit of hand & foot syndrome that was getting away from me. My oncologist told me today that I needed to stay off my chemo until next Thursday (the 12th). He agreed to keep me at the same dose when I restart next week. The plan is to try & push my way through the last 2 weeks once I restart. Damn the torpedos; full speed ahead! (or something like that) :)

You might want to check the Oncology Nursing web site and the University of Pennsylvania site: http://www.ons.org and http://cancer.med.upenn.edu/. I made up two oncology case studies for a project once. It was a lot of work. A great source of case studies are the books by Shirley Otto. She wrote 'Oncology Nursing' and a study guide to go with it. The study guide has case studies and correct answers. The Oncolgy Certified Nurse (OCN) exam is based on case studies. Otto's books were a big help to me. good luck studying.

Thanks Bernie - I do believe I will survive my cancer - most of the time. There are days it's harder, like when I'm caring for a patient with metastatic rectal cancer. I want to know what stage their disease was when it was diagnosed; did they have radiation; and what was their follow-up, etc. I know I'm tired of being in treatment. The end is in sight. I have about 3 weeks left of chemotherapy & then I'm done. Yippee! I never did hook up with a support group. The ones that are offered at my hospital are full of my patients. I do have a great Cancer Counselor. She's been available to me since the beginning. I worked with her on how to tell my staff about my cancer diagnosis. She's been a great source of support and helped me work through some of the emotional baggage that comes with cancer. She was especially helpful during the time I thought I was handling all the psychological & emotional stuff. I journaled some, but never truly got into it. I read a great true-life story on the ONS web site,. It was written by an experienced oncology nurse. It was his account of being diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment. He has a wonderful writing gift. I was able to put many things in perspective. I've gone back & read his journaling several times because it always has something new to tell me. Every day's an adventure...lindi

Thanks for your words of support & encouragement. I struggled so much with my diagnosis at first. I was off work for 7 weeks after my surgery. I'm on continuous 5FU via a Port. This has minimized some of the more drastic side effects of receiving bolus 5FU. I didn't start chemo until almost 3 months after surgerh. Then I had chemo for 6 weeks; 4 weeks off; chemo & radiation combined for 6 weeks; 4 weeks off; and I'm now halfway through 2 months of chemo. I've continued to work through chemo & radiation. I thought I was dealing fairly well with the emotional & psychological aspects. I know I don't have it as altogether as I pretend I do. Work does help me keep my mind off things. Although I should probably spend a little more time in journaling to get through some of the heavy stuff. thanks...lindi

I have been an Oncology nurse for 9 yrs. I work on an inpatient medical oncology unit. I have a great passion for what I do. I learned early on what I needed to do to provide great care & not burn out. Most of our patients are admitted for symtpom and/or disease management. We often see patients for a couple of years before they succumb to their cancer or one of the side effects related to treatment. We don't usually see the patients that get all or most of their treatment on an outpatient basis & get cured of their cancer. I was diagnosed with rectal cancer last October. I have incredible support from work, family, friends, the docs, etc. Even with all that support, it's not the same as talking to another oncology nurse who has had cancer. It's very strange to be a patient & yet have the knowledge base I have. It has definately had its plusses & minuses. I know more about oncology than some of the nurses in my medical oncologist's office. In fact, I trained two of them as new grads several years ago. Anyway, I would love to talk to other oncology nurses who have been diagnosed with cancer. What things caught you off guard? How did you choose an oncologist/surgeon/radiologist, etc? Did you attend a support group? Was it helpful? What would you have done differently? Did you tell the people you work with? Why or why not? Anything else you want to add, say, etc. I would also like to talk to anyone else who has had a nurse or physician coworker with cancer. How did it effect you? Sorry this is a little long. I write the way I talk...to much