It was a pleasant day. There was a breeze that was cool and comforting. Reema opened the window to let the cool air fill the room and comfort her ailing father. She sat and had tea sitting next to her father and wondered how many more days is she was going to be able to sit next to her father like this. Cancer had spread in her father’s body and, as per the oncologist, he had a few more weeks to live.

Reema’s father, Raj, was a rather quiet man. He had raised Reema as a single parent with a lot of financial challenges. When he was detected with colon cancer at stage three, he couldn’t muster up the courage to share the news with Reema, trying to protect her from pain and anxiety.

When the hospital where he was diagnosed referred him to CanSupport and the palliative care team visited him, the first thing they advised him was to share the diagnosis with Reema. The counsellor explained to Raj why it was important to share the diagnosis with Reema, since she would be the most important person in Raj's life in the coming months as his primary caregiver.

It took him a few days to make that decision but after listening to the team counsellor, he realised that he needed to share the diagnosis and the prognosis with Reema.

After a few interactions with the home care team, both Raj and Reema became very comfortable with the team. When Reema learnt about her father’s sickness, she was in a state of disbelief. Talking to the team, especially the counselling sessions with the counsellor helped her in absorbing the shock.

The team also started to educate Reema on how her father’s cancer would progress and the symptoms that he may experience. The team assured her that they would always be around to help and guide her.

Being the sole caregiver, for Reema, having a team of doctor, nurse, counsellor to help her, guide her was an enormous relief.

As Raj’s illness progressed, Reema very diligently gave Raj medication, as was directed by the team doctor. Apart from this, Raj had a percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) catheter to drain his urine which needed proper wound care procedures before and after showering. Due to the constant use of surgical tape, Reema had to spend a lot of time cleaning his skin’s surface.

Cancer spread fast in Raj’s body, affecting his mobility. It became hard for Raj to feed himself and he became completely dependent on Reema.

However, Reema persevered in caring for her father and ensured that she was there for him during his last stage of life — like he was there for her when he was healthy.

Reema was truly grateful to CanSupport and the home care team that stood beside her like a rock, managing her father’s symptoms and kept guiding her. There were times that Reema would break down, but the team supported her all the way!

When faced with difficult situations, such as how to stop the bleeding when Raj had a bad case of water swelling, Reema would turn to the care team for help.

“The journey was tough, but it was my way of repaying my father for all the love and sacrifices he made for so many years. I’m glad that I was there for him,” shared Reema.

PROVIDING HELP FOR CAREGIVERS

Caring for a palliative patient can be stressful for any caregiver. This might mean they have to seek emotional and physical support.

Helping to prevent burnout, caring for caregivers is vital to ensure that both patient and caregiver are ready for the journey ahead. “Apart from medical advice, the care team also encouraged Reema to take care of herself so that she will be able to continue caring for her father,” shared Pallika, the team counsellor.