February 4th was World Cancer - aimed at uniting the world's population in the global fight against cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute approximately 38.4% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetime and in 2018 there were an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer diagnosed in the United States and nearly 610,000 cancer related deaths. It is estimated that there are currently more than 15.5 million cancer survivors in the United States and that number is projected to top 20.3 million by 2026. In addition to the tremendous cost of human suffering caused by cancer ti is estimated that over 147 billion dollars were spent on cancer related treatments in 2017 alone.
Cancer is a disease that affects the whole person: mind, body and spirit. The goal of treatment is to cure whenever possible; and to treat aggressively when a cure is not possible. Each patient faces a unique battle based on the specific details of their disease and no two cases are the same because no two people are the same. There may come a time during this battle when the burden of continuing to attack the cancer is causing more problems than benefits. When this happens, it may make more sense to change the focus of treatment from attacking the disease to "attacking" the symptoms . Providing comfort through the aggressive management of symptoms is the chief goal of Hospice care.
Hospice of the Valleys is a local non-profit hospice which has been serving cancer patients in our community for over 35 years. Our goal is to provide the very best quality of care to each of our patients because that is how we would want our family to be treated. We achieve this compassionate care with the help of a knowledgeable interdisciplinary team who work together with the patient and family to understand their goals of care and then develop a unique plan of care tailored to meet their specific needs. Expert physicians and nurses make home visits as needed to address physical symptoms such as pain, nausea and difficulty breathing. Other team members including social workers assist patients and their families by providing support to manage the financial and emotional stressors often associated with cancer. Spiritual care providers are also available to participate in providing spiritual support to patients and families as requested in addition to providing bereavement care. If you would like to learn more about Hospice of the Valleys, you can check us out on the web at: hospiceofthevalleys.org; or feel free to call if you have any questions as 951-200-7800. It would be our pleasure to assist you.
Creating happy memories for our children is one of my favorite Christmas traditions; but for many children around the world who face poverty and oppression this is a daunting task. In 2009 I was asked to help provide relief to the children of Burma through a Medic Training Program overseen by the Partners Relief and Development Organization whose vision is "Free, full lives for children by conflict and oppression". According to the World Health Organization, healthcare in Burma (also known as Myanmar) was ranked as the worst in the world in the year 2000. Although there have been some improvements since that time, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Myanmar still has over 241,000 people, mostly women and children, living in refugee camp conditions. Nearly half of these people remain displaced as a result of ongoing armed conflicts.
In response to this ongoing humanitarian crisis, Partners Relief and Development, a Christian Relief Agency, was asked to help provide a Medic Training Program in the Southern Shan State of Burma. Since 2009 I have traveled to Burma each November to participate in this program. I just finished my 10th trip where I was honored to participate in the training and the graduation ceremony on November 12th for the class of 2019 which included 28 Medic Students. Since the Medic program began, over 228 Medics have been trained. The program is managed by an amazing husband and wife Doctor Team from New Zealand who oversee the 8-month training program with the assistance of visiting teachers such as me.
Dr. Cochrane training Medic students in the villages of Shan State where there has historically been no access to healthcare, these medics are now providing help and hope to their people and saving lives. Although they face incredible hardships, they are some of the happiest and most thankful people I have ever met. This year, during hospital rounds a patient who came in with suspected malaria suddenly lapsed into a coma and quit breathing. The students sprang into action immediately and following the training we have given them they put their skills to the test. After inserting an IV and administering emergency medications, the patient began breathing on his own again. He went on to regain consciousness and is expected to recover.
