Co-Survivors: Patients and Caregivers, United as a Team in the Fight!
Co-Survivors can be classified into two categories:
- Those who act out of pity and sorrow may elicit sympathy, but this can lead to them neglecting their own well-being, putting themselves at risk of Compassion Fatigue.
- Those who act out of compassion and recognize the importance of self-care alongside caring for others are driven by empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. While many of us feel sympathy for those in need, coupling it with empathy ensures that both the survivor and the co-survivor have their needs met.
Tips for Co-Survivors:
- Prioritize self-care: Allocate time for yourself, consider joining a support group, or engage in conversations with a counselor. Practice self-compassion.
- Seek Meaning in the Cancer Journey: Reevaluate life, discover new purposes, and find value in the experience.
- Educate Yourself about Compassion Fatigue: Gain knowledge and reach out for support.
- Establish Emotional Boundaries: Maintain healthy emotional boundaries.
- Pursue Outside Interests: Explore hobbies and interests outside of the caregiving role.
- Maintain a Gratitude Journal: Reflect on the positive aspects in life.
- Develop Resilience: Build emotional resilience.
- Acknowledge Imperfections: Remember that no one is perfect.
- Express Your Emotions: Don’t hesitate to cry or share your feelings. Seek assistance in managing family conflicts if they arise.
- Prioritize Your Time: Focus on what truly matters and let go of minor concerns.
- Acknowledge Your Best Efforts: Remind yourself that you’re doing your best.
- Reflect in Solitude: Spend time alone to contemplate your own emotions.
- Request Assistance: Don’t hesitate to ask for help with tasks; you don’t always have to be the expert.
- Involve Teens and Children: Encourage young family members to contribute and feel a sense of involvement.
“How well people manage their lives marked by illness depends not on the nature of the illness, but on the strength of their conviction that life is worth living no matter what complications are imposed on it.”
NCCN Guidelines for Survivorship Care:
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN):
National Coalition For Cancer Survivorship Care Planning (NCCS):
NCCS Survivorship Planning Checklist:
ASCO – Cancer.Net Survivorship Care Planning Guidance:
ASCO – Key Components of Survivorship Care:
Survivorship Care Reimbursement information:
For further resources, guidance, and information, please explore the second section in the Survivorship resource webpage:https://nlmsf.org/after-treatment/
The 2016 Commission on Cancer Program Standards mandated that accredited cancer centers provide treatment summaries and care plans to an expanding proportion of their treated patients. You can find an outline of care plans on the ‘Blueprints of Hope‘ website, along with a comprehensive list of clinic and program resources for your reference.
Survivorship Care Clinics At Sarcoma Centers Of Excellence:
- ABRAMSON CANCER CENTER
- BROWN CANCER CENTER (James Graham Brown)
- CATHOLIC MEDICAL CENTER – Be Well Center
- CLEVELAND CLINIC – TAUSSIG CANCER INSTITUTE
- DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
- DUKE CANCER INSTITUTE
- EMORY WINSHIP CANCER INSTITUTE
- FOX CHASE CANCER CENTER
- FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER
- HILLMAN CANCER CENTER – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
- JAMES CANCER CENTER – Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center
- JOHNS HOPKINS – SIDNEY KIMMEL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER
- KNIGHT CANCER INSTITUTE
- LEVINE CANCER INSTITUTE
- MAYO CLINIC
- MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
- MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING
- MINNESOTA ONCOLOGY SURVIVORSHIP PROGRAM
- MOFFITT CANCER CENTER
- MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER
- NATIONAL CANCER SURVIVORSHIP CENTER – American Cancer Society /George Washington Univ. Cancer Institute
- NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL
- ROBERT H. LURIE CANCER CENTER/SURVIVORSHIP INSTITUTE, Northwestern University
- ROGEL CANCER CENTER – Michigan Medicine -Sarcoma Survivorship Program
- ROSWELL PARK CANCER INSTITUTE/COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER
- STANFORD HEALTH CARE
- SYLVESTER CANCER CENTER
- UCLA CANCER CENTER
- TRI-CITIES CANCER CENTER
- UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO HEALTH SCIENCES CANCER CENTER
- UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS CANCER CENTER
- UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND – GREENBAUM COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER
- UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA – LINEBERGER COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER
- UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS – SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
- VANDERBILT-INGRAM CANCER CENTER
- VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY – MASSEY CANCER CENTER
- WAKE FOREST BAPTIST HEALTH / BAPTIST HEALTH – CLEMMONS
- YALE CANCER CENTER – Yale School of Medicine