Chronic Pain Management for Cancer Patients

Lorraine Kember

Title: Chronic Pain Management for Cancer Patients

Chronic untreated pain is debilitating, it dramatically affects a patient?s ability to participate in daily routines and in some cases takes away their will to live. Tragically, many people are suffering chronic pain unnecessarily. This in part, due to them not being made aware of the importance of pain management and being shown the simple tools necessary to achieve it. Lack of knowledge regarding the benefits and side effects of available medication is also a factor.

Many patients associate morphine and methadone, with drug addiction and are reluctant to take it due to their belief that it will cause them to become ?high? or sedated, this and their attempts to brave out the pain, results in their pain spirally out of control. This could be prevented if they were informed that chronic pain effectively ?uses up? medication and that these drugs when taken for the relief of pain associated with cancer, can dramatically reduce both the occurrence and intensity of pain, without causing sedation.

Experience has taught me that knowledge is the key, to better quality of life, not only for the terminally ill patient but for those who care for them. My understanding of the stages and symptoms of Brian?s disease, allowed for me to be one step ahead of its progression and gave me the opportunity to have medication and later, physical aids such as oxygen, wheelchair etc ? on hand BEFORE Brian needed them. This alleviated much of the fear, pain and discomfort he would otherwise have suffered.
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Lorraine Kember is the Author of ?Lean on Me Cancer through a Carer?s Eyes?, an inspirational true account of her husband?s battle with cancer and her emotional journey as she cares for him.

KathyMR. · Guest

I have breast cancer and am taking Herceptin and just finished 12 weeks of Taxol (7 of those weeks with herceptin added). My Dr. did give me a pain med., but says that herceptin should not cause me to have pain. I DO have pain in my rib cage area. How do I convince him this is so???? Now he is giving me the equivalent 12 doses of Herceptin which will be followed with Hercptin every 3 weeks for 52 weeks. KathyMR.

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