Episode 040: Oncology Nurse on Treatment and Clinical Trials
Dec 12, 2018•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode description
When you’re dealing with cancer, your oncology nurse is there for your every step of the way - asking you about your symptoms, administering treatment. Your nurse is answering the most pressing questions that you have right now and ultimately, helping you preserve your dignity at a time when you really need it the most.
Right now, we’re talking to one amazing nurse, her name is Natasha and she’s helped so many folks like you and me to get through treatment in the best way possible. Natasha also does a lot of really amazing work around clinical trials, so we get to find out what that’s really like, so let’s dig in!
Here are some things that we cover today:
Why self-compassion is critical throughout cancer treatment
Dealing with uncertainty
How clinical trials can work for you
and much, much more!
Links
ANZUP Trials Group
ANZUP ClinTrial Refer app
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry
Episode 029: What You Must Know About Clinical Trials Before Starting Treatment
Full Transcript
Joe: Natasha, it’s so scary to go through treatment, I guess because you don’t really know what’s going on and you don’t really know how things are going to turn out. Is there really any way to prepare for cancer treatment?
Natasha: No, I don’t think there is. Knowledge is important but also listening to your body and getting to know your body and what doesn’t feel right for you and what does feel right for you and gathering that information as much as possible about what’s normal for you and what’s not normal for you. Trying to do that right from the very beginning. I think that’s really important, but just being nice to yourself and looking after yourself as much as possible. You know, I heard someone call it self-compassion, not being hard on yourself and going, “I’ve got to be tough, I’ve got to be strong.”
That’s good to believe that but also, I feel sick because I’m having some really heavy-duty treatment with side-effects and I feel really bad at the moment. Just not being hard on yourself about that. Do you know what I’m saying?
Joe: Yes, absolutely. I think it makes so much sense because you do have a tendency or even to put on a brave face and go, “Yes, I can do this. I’m okay”, when in reality it just wears you out. You have to balance your normal everyday life, you might be working, you might have a family, you might have friends, you might have everything going on. At the same time, you’ve got this treatment that explodes into your life. You have to figure out how everything works and dealing with side-effects. You have to navigate the system. You’ve got oncologists and your medical team and how does it all fit together? Yes, it can be a bit of a maze, right?
Natasha: It can. To be honest with you, I’ve been a nurse for a long time, I don’t want to say how long because it will probably be embarrassing for me. I’m still working it out. The system is always changing. It’s not like there’s this static way that things go and then you go, “Okay, now I know how it works, we’re going to okay for the rest of our lives.” It’s constantly changing.
You’ll come back in six months and you don’t call that person anymore, we’ve reworked thing. Now they’re more efficient and you’ve got to call this person. There’s just constant change. There’s change in your everyday life. There’s change in how your body is responding to treatment. There’s change in what’s going on in the health system. It’s a lot to navigate. You still have to have a job and pay your bills. You know, be with your family. It’s a lot.
Joe: Exactly. What advice do you have on dealing with uncertainty, especially for someone who’s going through treatment?
Natasha: Probably my best advice is to say uncertainty is okay and it’s normal. If you’re feeling uncertain, that’s a normal thing. We just don’t know.
