Caregivers play an important role in the lives of people with renal cell carcinoma, a common type of kidney cancer. They provide practical assistance, as well as emotional support.
While being a caregiver can be very rewarding, the role also comes with many challenges. Understanding what to expect when your loved one goes through treatment can help you plan ahead.
Keep reading to learn about what’s involved with being a caregiver for someone with renal cell carcinoma, along with tips on how to best manage the challenges.
Learning about renal cell carcinoma can help you understand what your loved one might experience. It will also help you prepare for changes they may go through over time.
Your loved one may not notice any symptoms of kidney cancer at first. But as renal cell carcinoma progresses, they may experience:
- chronic pain in their side
- fatigue
- weight loss
- bloody urine
- trouble seeing
- 质量在他们的腹部
- 食欲不振
People with cancer may also go through emotional changes as they cope with their condition. Some days, they may be upbeat and optimistic, while other days might involve anger, sadness, and fear.
These emotions are understandable, and while you might not always know the best way to address them, simply listening to their experience and feelings can help them feel supported.
As you continue learning about renal cell carcinoma, it’s important to remember that everyone’s experience with cancer is unique. Information about the disease and how it affects the body can give you a general picture of kidney cancer, but it is not necessarily a roadmap of what you and your loved one can expect.
护理人员也可以overloa经验信息d if they spend too much time researching the disease. Cancer comes with many unknowns, and learning about every possible complication can contribute to worry and personal stress.
The key is to try to strike a balance. It’s helpful to know enough about the disease to be a reliable resource for your loved one. But try not to read so much that you end up with an extra layer of emotional stress.
The role of caring for someone with renal cell carcinoma can often be a cross between a companion and a home health aide.
尽管没有两个护理人员拥有完全相同的职责和责任清单，但您可能需要在家庭周围提供实际帮助，情感支持，甚至是一些基本的医疗服务。
Here are some common ways caregivers help people with renal cell carcinoma:
侵扰g with daily life
Everyday chores and grooming can be difficult for someone coping with renal cell carcinoma or undergoing treatment. Caregivers can make things easier by helping with tasks like:
- meal preparation
- 沐浴，修饰和调味料
- using the restroom
- 家务
- shopping for necessities
- running errands
- paying bills and monitoring household budgets
- handling insurance claims
- 照顾法律文件
侵扰g with medical treatment
虽然癌症护理团队的成员是负责医疗的主要人员，但护理人员有时会提供额外的帮助：
- preparing and administering medications
- 拿起处方
- making medical appointments
- driving to doctor’s appointments
- participating in treatment discussions
- 监视该人的健康并注意变化
- 协调专家之间的医疗服务
- advocating for the person with cancer
- talking with doctors about changes in symptoms
Providing emotional support
Reliable emotional support from a caregiver can make a positive impact on a person with renal cell carcinoma. Your loved one may cope with a range of challenging emotions.
The
When they are ready to talk, try to practice active listening. Be present, maintain eye contact, and ask questions as they come up.
Try to avoid giving advice. As much as you might want to offer suggestions or solve problems, you can’t change the current circumstances. Instead, work to help them find acceptance.
You might not always know exactly what to say — and that’s OK. Showing your loved one compassion is one of the best things you can do as a caregiver.
Taking care of someone with renal cell carcinoma can take a toll on your physical and emotional well-being.
Nearly 4 in 10 caregivers say that the role is highly stressful, according to a2020 report来自全国护理和AARP公共政策研究所。
The same study also showed that nearly 70 percent of caregivers say their duties cause some or a lot of physical strain. That’s why it’s important to address your own needs and take time for self-care.
Here are some ways to support yourself while caring for someone with cancer, according to the
- Relax for 15 to 30 minutes every day.Watch your favorite TV show, practice yoga, read a novel, or go for a walk. In whatever way makes sense for you, take time to recharge daily.
- 与朋友建立联系。While you might not be able to socialize as much as usual while caring for a loved one with cancer, it’s still important to make time for your friends and loved ones. They can be an essential source of support for you as you cope with the challenges of caregiving.
- Try to stick with your routine.Some change in routine is inevitable when you start caregiving, but too much disruption can add to your stress. Maintaining daily activities, such as making your favorite breakfast, can reinforce your sense of consistency.
- Ask for help.您不必自己照顾一切。伸出援手，诸如做饭，开车去约会或更新亲戚有关您所爱的人的状况的事情，可以腾出时间让您照顾好自己。
- Connect with a support group.Often one of the best sources of comfort is people who are also providing care to others with a serious illness. Talk with your doctor about local support groups in your community, or consider online options like the肾脏癌协会的启发社区.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to self-care, so try a few different things to see what works best for you. It will help ensure you have the emotional and physical resources required to support your loved one over the long term.
治疗options and the outlook for your loved one’s disease will depend on many factors, including the size of the tumors and whether cancer has spread beyond the kidneys.
治疗
Surgery is usually the first-line treatment for kidney cancer. This surgery might remove just the cancer and surrounding tissues, or the entire kidney and possibly the adrenal glands and lymph nodes, depending on the person’s condition.
Other possible treatments for renal cell carcinoma include:
- radiation therapy
- 免疫疗法
- 有针对性的疗法
- chemotherapy (in rare cases)
癌症护理团队将解释每种治疗涉及的内容以及您应该注意的副作用。
Keep in mind that it’s never too early for someone with cancer to start palliative care. This type of care is often given with other cancer treatments. It focuses on relieving symptoms and improving a person’s quality of life while coping with a disease.
Talk with a member of the cancer care team to explore palliative care options for your loved one.
Outlook
Most caregivers hope for clear answers about the outlook for their loved ones. In general, the earlier the stage of kidney cancer, the better the outlook. Doctors estimate the
癌症消失后，它有可能会回来。一个人没有癌症的越长，这种风险就会降低。您所爱的人在从治疗中恢复后可能会定期进行癌症筛查，以检查癌症已经恢复的迹象。
Caring for someone with renal cell carcinoma can be both a rewarding and challenging journey.
You may need to help with daily chores, drive your loved one to medical appointments, communicate with members of the care team, and provide emotional support.
Despite the long list of tasks, it’s important to carve out time for yourself every day. Practicing self-care can help you avoid caregiving burnout and get the support you need.
请记住：您不必自己照顾一切。当您需要时，请从朋友和亲戚那里寻求帮助。