| Popis: |
Mesothelioma is a complex disease and manifests with physical and emotional symptoms as well as social issues. These symptoms and issues can be more burdensome to those with mesothelioma, family caregivers, and other carers than other diseases. One issue that is unfortunately common is that a patient or family member of this rare disease is often treated in a setting where there are few, if any, other patients with mesothelioma. This experience can exacerbate the symptoms and problems due to isolation, lack of support, and lack of specialized services. The process of this disease has additional layers of complexity as the vast majority of people diagnosed with mesothelioma were exposed at work and the reality that the current outcome of the disease is death. This chapter presents information on how people respond to an upcoming death, the actual dying process, and after the person with mesothelioma has died. This chapter includes the typical physical symptoms that are often the hallmark of the beginning of the end of life. Information about decisions that can be made to promote as much comfort care as possible at the end of life by both the patient and the caregiver is offered. The process that must be followed after death from mesothelioma, including information on whom to call and the differences between being in the United States vs. some countries in Europe, is presented in the Addendum. The goal of this chapter is to offer healthcare professional an understanding of what the end of the disease process might look like and how patients and their families may feel and concrete tasks that can be done in the least complicated and most sensitive manner. |
