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Last Updated on June 9, 2021 by Frank Davis
Eventually chemotherapy may reach a point where it no longer works and you do not see improvement in your condition. You are faced with a tough decision when you are in this situation. Does stopping chemo make sense? Are there any other treatment options available to you? We recommend that you speak with your doctor and find out what the best course of action would be, since the decision will be up to you.
It is very important not to end chemotherapy too early or too late. Making the decision to stop chemotherapy is always going to be one of the most difficult decisions a person can make. A person may feel relieved that the painful and uncomfortable side effects of chemotherapy are now over. Others may feel guilt as if they had given up.
The purpose of this article is to introduce you to a service that you can use if, for whatever reason, you decide to stop your chemo.
Comfort Care
In the event that you decide to stop your chemotherapy treatment, there is a service provided at your residence called comfort care, which is also known as hospice care. Upon request, the services ensure that you are relieved as much pain and discomfort as possible and can get the comfort you deserve. In fact, aggressive treatments are no longer required because they have symptoms and side effects that are detrimental to your quality of life.
As part of hospice care, we provide a holistic approach to care by supporting you in all aspects of your life, including emotional, physical, and spiritual. It is accomplished by a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals working in conjunction with each other. Among the types of professionals that make up this team, there are doctors, nurses, therapists, counselors, home health aides, and volunteers.
It will be the hospice doctor in conjunction with your regular doctor on an ongoing basis to ensure that you receive the best possible care. A couple of choices that they will be collaborating on is choosing the medications, as well as determining what kind of medical services you may need. The advantage of this will be that your doctor will still be able to supervise your care as long as he is involved in it.
When a terminal illness is in its final phase, a strong focus is usually placed on relieving the pain and symptoms of the condition. In many cases, pain medications will be prescribed according to the severity of their symptoms, with the dosages changing accordingly. Shortness of breath, constipation, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and fever are a few of the symptoms that we might be able to relieve.
Hospice care is done in order to provide you with the high level of care that you need in a stress-free environment, so that you can focus on the things that are important to you. In addition to this, we also aim to take the financial stress off of your shoulders. In most cases, Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance plans are covering 100% of the hospice charges.
When Is The Right Time To Use Hospice Care
It is possible that patients who have cancer that are no longer responding to treatment may be at greater risk of experiencing harmful effects from further chemotherapy. If you discontinue therapy, you are not giving up hope. It is a decision you made to focus on comfort and to improve your quality of life by relieving pain and symptoms.
It is usual for hospice care patients to be qualified for hospice care when the doctor signs a statement saying that the patient, assuming that the disease runs its normal course, has a prognosis of six months or less. It is important to note that you should not wait too long or too soon to get hospice care. If you are unsure of what the prognosis for your condition is, then you should consult your physician.
In the event that you cannot make it to the doctors for any reason, please do not hesitate to call our number at (818) 433-00068.
Conclusion
A situation in which chemotherapy no longer works and a sign of improvement cannot be seen. It is then that you have to make a big decision as to what action you should take next. How long should you continue to get treatment? What other treatment options are available to you? Could I forgo treatment altogether and focus on ensuring my comfort instead? The answers to these questions are those that only you and your doctor should be able to provide.
The next step that you would take if you decide to stop receiving chemotherapy is to get comfort care for you. In case you have any questions about hospice services, please do not hesitate to contact us at (747) 755-5181.
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