With a large amount of terminally ill cancer patients on the island, there is a gap between providing top-notch health care to our patients on the island.
There needs to be a better way to provide service for the different and unique cancer patients that are living on the island. We need to increase the number of specialty doctors and medical professionals. Speaking of health care, check out these Nutrisystem reviews.
Locals are having to work with multiple companies such as hospice care and home health care to seek out the best health care they can find on the island.
The University of Guam’s Cancer Research Center maintains a Guam Cancer Registry. The registry indicates that 736 new cancer cases were reported over the span of five years. From 2008-2012, cancer mortality rates grew 7.4%.
From 2008-2012, cancer female mortality rates at 95, while cancer mortality rates for males was 182.
University of Guam, Cancer Research Center, and Guam Cancer Registry also reported that prostate cancer is the most frequently reported site for men, while breast and cervical cancers are common with women. These are the Best weight loss pills.
Elizabeth Asuncion is a former caregiver for her sister, Antoinette Castro.
Elizabeth began caregiving for her sister in 2010 when Antoinette was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time.
Antoinette Castro was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. She underwent a breast mastectomy.
Antoinette was in remission for four years until she was diagnosed with breast cancer that metastasized in 2010.
Antoinette was a patient at the Cancer Center of Guam receiving care from Dr. Samuel Friedman. Antoinette’s conditioned worsened over six years, which then led to her death in 2016.
During the final months of her life, Antoinette received home health care and eventually hospice.
Antoinette was receiving weekly to biweekly chemotherapy treatments for about six years, which was easy at the beginning with her mobility, but then became challenging when she broke her legs and her family had to outsource medical transportation.
During this time, Antoinette was receiving home health care from Guam Nursing Services to treat her wounds and recover from surgery with physical therapy, but had to outsource medical transportation to commute to her chemotherapy appointments.
Asuncion shared that during this time, it was challenging and chaotic working with two different companies to provide the best care the island had to offer for her sister.
Asuncion shared that outsourcing multiple companies to aide in her sister’s care was challenging mainly because she believed she could work with one company to provide all the services her sister needed.
In the midst of Antoinette battling cancer, Asuncion had to build a relationship and become comfortable with the different medical staff from various local healthcare organizations.
At the time, Guam Nursing Services was providing wound care and physical therapy for Antoinette, but they didn’t provide medical transportation.
As cancer rates continue to grow on island, it is crucial that home health services team up with an oncologist center on the island too try an implement an at-home chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients who are terminally ill and would prefer to be in the comfort of their own home.
Asuncion shared that while her sister would be seeking treatment at the Cancer Center of Guam, located in Tamuning, Antoinette was limited to one visitor at a time while receiving treatment.
“It would’ve been really nice to have her granddaughters visit at the clinic to bring up my sister’s spirits while she was receiving treatment,” Asuncion said.
According to the Oncology Nursing Society located in Pennsylvania, medical professionals have shared that it is possible to receive chemotherapy at home, which improve the patient’s quality of life and outcome.
Something that Asuncion has shared is that surrounding her sister with family and friends really helped keep Antoinette’s spirits up. Asuncion also believes this helped prolong her sister’s life.