by Bag It Team | Aug 31, 2022 | Educational Articles
September 20 is Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day. It’s a day set aside to remind us that some of our loved ones may need a little help when it comes to seeing a healthcare provider. Many people skip regular check-ups or wait until there is an emergency to visit a doctor. This could put them at risk for serious health issues.
There can be many issues holding someone back from a visit to the doctor’s office. Fear of doctors, needles, or tests. Access or not having a general practitioner they know. Concern about insurance coverage or other costs. Not having the time or not being in the habit of regular check-ups. Whatever is holding them back, having some extra support and encouragement could help them to schedule a much-needed visit.
When starting the conversation make sure to ask your loved one about their current health needs and write down any concerns they have regarding a visit. It can be a delicate conversation but here are some resources to help guide you.
“Most people don’t bring up the idea of going to the doctor in regular conversation. Days like Take a Loved One to the Doctor offer the opportunity to have those discussions with someone who might be resistant to get a routine check-up.”
—Dr. Rupesh Parikh, Comprehensive Cancer Centers’ Practice President
Resources To Help Your Loved One
This AARP guide provides advice regarding how to talk to your loved one about going to the doctor, being prepared for your appointment and other useful resources. They recommend that “you might need to turn on your powers of persuasion to get your loved one to agree to see a doctor. Many people have a long list of reasons for avoiding doctors’ visits. Don’t fight every point.”
The Comprehensive Cancer Center recommends teamwork, incentives and setting up the appointment once they agree.
Once the appointment is made, the American Cancer Society has some great tips for before, during and after the visit.
The Bag It Guidebook includes forms for medications, insurance contacts, medical information, list of questions, and an appointment summary log to help you prepare for, interact during and summarize the appointments. If you don’t have a Bag It bag, you can download the forms from our website.
“Most people don’t bring up the idea of going to the doctor in regular conversation,” said Dr. Rupesh Parikh, Comprehensive Cancer Centers’ practice president. “Days like Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day offer the opportunity to have those discussions with someone who might be resistant to get a routine check-up.”
by Bag It Team | Aug 20, 2022 | Podcasts
Certified Health Educator Jessica Somar talks about how to create well-being across physical, emotional, social, environmental and financial dimensions using evidence-based medicine and guidelines. She explores why wellness means many things to different population and how to influence human behavior when trying to improve the overall quality of living for individuals. As always, Executive Director, Mindy Griffith is your host for Bag It Cancer’s podcast–Your Guide Through Cancer.
by Bag It Team | Aug 9, 2022 | Educational Articles
In recognition of National Wellness Month, we wanted to look at how we can all take some simple, purposeful steps to be more active, manage stress, improve our mental and physical health and more. Not just for the month of August but all year long.
Whether you want to focus on physical, emotional, spiritual, or social wellness, it is important to pick one thing and get started with small steps that will help your new healthy habits stick around for the long term.
Build Wellness Into Your Life
Making a plan sounds daunting but wellness goals should be simple, easy to adopt and fit into your lifestyle.
Here are a few examples of what your wellness plan might look like:
- I want to focus on being active. I am going to start sitting less every day by setting an alarm to remind me to get up and walk for 1 minute every hour. Tip: Set that alarm in another room so you have to get up to turn it off.
- I want to focus on self-care. I am going to start by taking a 15-minute break, in a quiet location, with a book and my coffee/tea/favorite beverage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tip: Create a favorite space (inside or outside) that is only used for taking a moment out of your day to decompress.
- I want to focus on managing stress. I am going to incorporate a 4-4-4 breathing exercise at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. for 1 minute (breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 4). Tip: Practice this technique at any point in your day you might need to manage stress (driving, during a work meeting, while having a difficult conversation).
- I want to focus on physical and mental health. I am going to practice yoga for 20 minutes 3 times this week. Tip: purchase an online plan or sign up for a class (committing money helps us also commit the time).
- I want to focus on healthy eating. I will incorporate 1 fruit or vegetable into at least 2 meals every day this week. Tip: Focus on what is in season so it will be tastiest and also give you variety throughout the year.
Looking for a little inspiration to get started?
Here are some other ideas to put you on the road to a healthier, happier life:
- Increase your water intake. The Mayo Clinic tells us how much water is enough.
Monitor your sleep and make adjustments for better sleep habits.- Join a walking, or aerobics class.
- Learn to meditate. Mindful.org gives you some meditation tips. \Plan a day of fun activities you love.
- Visit with friends and family.
- Start a gratitude journal. PositivePsychology.com can get your started.
- Practice being your own cheerleader with positive self-talk.
Setting Goals That Stick
We’re talking about wellness goals that are easy to incorporate into your lifestyle. But if you want some help with setting a goal, here are a few steps you can take to create a wellness plan that will endure:
- Pick a topic you want to focus on.
- Set 1 goal using the S.M.A.R.T. method
- Specific: The goal should be very precise with no room for misinterpretation.
- Measurable: The goal should be quantifiable, and progress should be easy to track.
- Achievable: The goal should be attainable — not outlandish or unrealistic.
- Relevant: The goal should contribute to your broader, overarching goals.
- Time-bound: The goal should have a defined start and end date.
- Share your goal with a trusted friend or family member. Accountability can often help encourage our success. You also might find a goal buddy!
- Write it down and put it somewhere you can see it every day.
Other Resources
Defining Wellness
The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health. – Read more about the Global Wellness Institute’s perspectives.
Wellness at Work
Since we spend much of our waking hours at work, here is a WebMD Health Services’ article that shows how to promote employee wellbeing.
Stay tuned for our August podcast for more on the five dimensions of wellness.
by Bag It Team | Aug 3, 2022 | Podcasts
Executive Director and Your Guide Through Cancer Podcast Host Mindy Griffin’s guests are Patient Power Co-Founders, Andrew and Esther Schorr. Their mission is to raise “patient and care partner voices” to help them more actively participate and drive their own healthcare decisions They talk about how they are working on patient community development, relationship-building with medical experts, centers of excellence, pharma and advocacy groups.
by Bag It Team | Jul 12, 2022 | Educational Articles
Every 18 to 24 months, we gather a committee of cancer survivors, care partners, oncology care providers, and nonprofit partners to conduct a review of the Bag It Bag. They assess how the current bag content and design are meeting the needs of people with cancer, their care partners, families, and the healthcare providers who care for them. The group also considers how the Bag could be improved.
The feedback we received from our recent review was thoughtful and insightful, as always. The consensus was that the significant revisions made to the Bag in 2019 continue to benefit the quality of the materials. Some helpful suggestions on ways to refresh and enhance some of the content were also offered.
The Covid-19 pandemic did not prevent us from completing this important process or continuing our work. For the Bag It Team, the challenges it brought reinforced that this valuable resource is critical for those dealing with cancer, renewing our commitment to our mission of educating, supporting, and empowering those impacted by cancer.
2022 Bag It Bag Updates
Paths to Survivorship Booklet
We added new information about dealing with potential cancer treatment side effects such as hot flashes, bone health, and genital and urinary problems, which are common for some types of cancer. It is important for people to understand all of their rights and options to best navigate their situations related to work, disability and health insurance, and managing finances. Triage Cancer provided valuable content on these legal and practical issues.
An overview about genetic and biomarker testing explains what they are and, when ordered by your doctor, how the test results can help your cancer care team offer you the most tailored options for effective treatment of your cancer. Your doctor will determine if this type of testing is appropriate for you.
This booklet includes helpful lists of questions you can ask your healthcare team based on where you are in your diagnosis and treatment:
- Questions to ask your healthcare team about your diagnosis
- Questions to ask your healthcare team about cancer treatment
- Questions to ask your healthcare team about follow-up care
- Questions to ask your healthcare team about late and long-term side effects
- Questions to ask your healthcare team about living with chronic or advanced cancer
Here are printable versions of the questions to take with you to your appointments. You’ll also find other Self-Advocacy Tips and A Survivorship Checklist.
Paths to Survivorship (and all the booklets and forms in the bag) can be downloaded for free on our website. Want to share this great publication with others? You can email it in PDF format or send them the link to the Bag it Bag.
My Companion Guidebook
It goes without saying that there’s a lot of information coming your way when you or someone close to you is diagnosed with cancer. It can be overwhelming. A great deal of paperwork is given to you by your providers, and there is much to keep track of in an accurate and consistent manner.
My Companion Guidebook is a helpful way to organize everything in one place to ensure you have access to what you need, when you need it. We’ve made some tweaks to make it easier to sort and store your records in the various sections, and added more tips on how to make the most of your appointments. There’s also a handy new page to keep a running list of your questions for your next doctor visit.
Blank copies of the forms to print or the fillable PDF format can be found on our Bag It Bag page.
Resources, Resources, and More Resources!
Did you know Bag It’s online Resource Center houses over 150 vetted websites covering a wide range of cancer topics? Whether you want education about your cancer type or to find support services out there that can help you or your family along the way, we’ve done the legwork to save you time and to bring you resources you can rely on.
At the same time, we also realize that not everyone has equal access to or is as comfortable using the internet. That’s why we added two new pages to My Companion Guidebook listing many helpful organizations to assist with some of the most common and pressing needs that cancer can bring. (Phone numbers are also listed in case you prefer to call and speak to someone there.)
Topics include:
To order a Bag It Bag for yourself or someone else, visit our Bag It Bag order page.
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