Fighting for Recovery

You can become an active participant in the fight for recovery from cancer. We are all guided by vital forces within us—the physical, social, psychological and the spiritual. The diagnosis of cancer, as with any illness, presents a crisis to all these forces.

Taking action in the fight for recovery means that you form a partnership with your physician and healthcare team. The team will address the physical crisis and will be able to do everything possible to enhance your social, psychological and spiritual well-being, allowing your total self to cooperate with your medical treatment.

Here is what you can do to become an active participant in the fight for recovery.

• Realize the diagnosis of cancer is not an automatic sentence of death.
• Know that there always is the opportunity for joy and involvement in living.
• Follow the advice of your physician.
• Understand that you are not helpless; you are the most important part of the team fighting for your recovery.
• Retain as much control of your life as possible.
• Keep your stress level as low as possible.
• Tell friends and family what you want from them; allow them to do the same for you. Draw strength from your spiritual resources.

Cancer Institute Support
The Cancer Institute provides the following support for cancer patients.

C.A.R.E.—Is a group of breast cancer survivors that exists solely to provide confidential listening and support to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. It does not provide medical advice or opinions. However, it will direct women to resources that can further assist them.

Oncology Genetics Services—Some families inherit the predisposition to develop a specific type of cancer. Genetic counseling and testing are available at the UT Cancer Institute.

Patient-to-Patient Program—No one understands better than someone who has been there. The Patient-to-Patient Program consists of volunteers who are former cancer patients and are willing to talk with newly diagnosed patients. Please ask your doctor or nurse about this program.

Smoking Cessation Service—Smoking increases your chance of developing many types of cancers. The best way to prevent this is to never start smoking or to quit if you already have started. For more information, call the Chest Service at 865.305.6955, visit www.smokefree.gov or click here for smoking cessation tips.

Nutritional Information—The UT Medical Center’s dietitian can offer ideas and suggestions to help with nutritional problems. Free nutritional supplement samples are offered at various times. Ask your physician or nurse about referrals to the dietitian. Contact the dietitian at 865.305.8099.

Psychosocial Support—The trained and licensed social worker will assist you with all of your case management needs. Contact the social worker at 865.305.6154.

UT Pastoral Care—Call Pastoral Care at 865.305.9704.

Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society

The UT Cancer Institute in collaboration with the American Cancer Society offers the following support.

I Can Cope— Social support can be an effective tool in the fight for recovery, reducing stress, emotional isolation, fear of the unknown and establishing friendship with others who have cancer. I Can Cope is an educational support series that is offered Tuesdays, 12 noon to 1 p.m. in the UT Cancer Institute Conference Room (Medical Building D, 4th Floor). Topics include: nutrition, personal appearance and self-esteem, insurance/legal issues, coping with feelings and the benefits of religion and spirituality on physical well-being. Check the Community Calendar or contact Teri Green at 865.305.6154 (or toll-free at 866.337.8824, ext. 6154) if you have questions or suggestions.

Man-to-Man—This is a program that helps men and their families cope with prostate cancer by providing patient education, support to patients and family members and awareness of prostate cancer as a major health concern for all men. It meets the first Thursday in each month from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in the UT Cancer Institute Conference Room (Medical Building D, 4th Floor).

Look Good/Feel Better—This free service for women with cancer teaches beauty techniques to enhance appearance and self-image during treatment. It meets the fourth Monday of each month from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the UT Cancer Institute Education Room (Medical Building D, 3rd Floor).

Reach to Recovery—“No One Should Have to Face Cancer Alone.” Ask your physician for a referral to Reach to Recovery for a personal visit or telephone the American Cancer Society office at 865.584.1669.

Supportive Care in the Community

Community supportive care resources include the following.

The American Cancer Society provides many special services for people with cancer (loan equipment, limited financial assistance to low-income patients for medication, transportation for treatment and self-help support groups).
871 N. Weisgarber Road
Knoxville, TN 37909
Phone (local): 865.584.1669
Phone (national): 800.ACS.2345

The Wellness Community—East Tennessee offers free programs of hope, learning and friendship for people with cancer and their families. Information on the Wellness Community is located in the Cancer Institute lobby.
1844 Terrace Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37916
865.546.4661

Resources on the Internet

There are many web-based supportive care resources that include the following.

CyberKnife Patient Support Group is a devoted group of CyberKnife patients, family and friends who would like to offer support during the CyberKnife experience.

The Knoxville Affiliate, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure serves as an excellent resource for breast cancer information.

People Living with Cancer is the American Society of Clinical Oncology website for accurate, reliable and oncologist-approved information on more than 50 types of cancer. The site is designed to help people with cancer make informed healthcare decisions. For more detailed information, click on their Live Online Chat links for the “Ask the Expert” series.

Be Empowered Inc. is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to both educating and supporting people with cancer at the time of diagnosis. The organization has developed a bag of power that includes written materials, published brochures from known sources (American Cancer Society, NIH) and products to help people cope with life from the day of diagnosis. Targeted to the newly diagnosed patient, there is no cost to physicians, cancer care providers or the cancer patient for these materials. Their goal is to help each cancer patient easily find his sense of power as soon as he is thrown into what feels like a powerless situation.

Be Empowered Inc.
P.O. Box 831537
Richardson, TX 75083-1537
214.438.3707

FORCE ("Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) is a nonprofit organization for women who are at high risk of getting hereditary breast and ovarian cancer due to their family history and genetic status, and for members of families in which a BRCA mutation may be present. This website is a helpful resource for anyone who knows she is at risk, who wonders whether she might be at risk or who cares about these issues and concerns.

PanCan is an online Pancreatic Cancer Network working together for a cure.

Links to Internet resources outside of the Cancer Institute website are provided solely for the convenience of persons visiting the Cancer Institute website. Provision of such hyperlinks is not an endorsement of these sites.