Editor’s Note: The complexity of the American healthcare system is difficult for patients, families and consumers to understand. It also frustrates clinicians and increases the risk that something will go wrong in the course of care. For those in need of care or simply trying to manage routine needs, such as ongoing medications, the system […]
In 2013, before I’d ever heard of “patient engagement,” I spent many days at doctor’s offices, hospitals, chemo infusion suites, in ambulances, and with visiting nurses in our home. My first husband, Ahmad, had Stage IV bladder cancer, and we spent a draining 11 months in a desperate quest to save his life. I observed […]
You (or a loved one) has cancer, but the latest round of chemotherapy has unfortunately had only a modest impact. While you’re acutely aware of the “wretchedness of life that becomes worn to the nub by [chemotherapy’s] adverse effects,” you’re also a fighter. How do you decide whether to continue with chemo? The answer to […]