Cancer treatment preparation

January 10, 2018

Cancer treatment preparation: Before you begin cancer treatment

Cancer treatment preparation is should involves the whole family

Cancer treatment preparation is essential especially after the diagnosis. But before the diagnosis, this may not be easy because no one would want to associate with the disease. Nonetheless, when this is established, getting ready a head of time is important. From the expert’s desk at AWAREmed Health and wellness Resource Center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, planning is good however small it may be. The steps you take will help you be in control and improve your healing process. To help you plan well, the following are some of the steps you may consider before chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

A clear plan

From the onset, together with your oncologist must ensure you are addressing the same problem. You must be aware of what exactly you’re treating. What will be happening during the treatment and duration it will take including any side effects? You may want to document you discussion with the doctor too and where necessary, you can seek for a second opinion if need be.

Cancer treatment prepararation: Only plan for what is within your reach

With the entry of cancer, your life will change and no matter your treatment mode, you will have some frustrations along the way. Doctor Akoury explains that most frustrations are never about the disease but what will happen to your daily cores like, who will attend to my business, children or who will take you to and from the hospital? That is why your plan should be within reach. At this time family and friends can be helpful. You may engage them in assignments like picking up your children from school, doing the house work and stuff like that a head of time.

Live responsibly

Healthy living before, during and after treatment is very important. This will help in improving your healing process in many ways. Remember that healthy feeding and exercise will go a long way in help you maintain quality of your life and this must be top on the list of your treatment objectives. For perfection, you may want to consult with nutritionist, physical therapist or any other specialist in such disciplines.

Changes in appearance

Treatment procedures like chemo and radiation may cause hair loss, weight loss, or skin rashes as side effects. In your plan, this needs to be appreciated and just get ready should they come and deal with them. You may want to find more from your doctor of what to expect as possible side effects.

Seek advice from people who’s been through the same

You’re not alone in this journey. People have been before you and they can help you ease uncertainty, anxiety, or fears. Doctor Akoury advices new patients to open up and talk with people who’ve had the same disease and had successful treatment. This will give more hope and encouragement to face any challenges that may come along the way. Finally, cancer is treatable and you can talk to us at AWAREmed health center for more professional input.

Cancer treatment preparation: Before you begin cancer treatment

Brain Cancer Treatment: Factors and side effects of treatment

Brain Cancer Treatment that works. The disease cancer is a scare and those who have been there will tell you that better prevention than cure

Brain cancer treatment can be a very expensive exercise for many people. Besides being very expensive, the mere fact that you’re suffering from brain cancer is not only traumatizing but also life threatening. It is therefore important for treatment to be prioritised. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD and President of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center explains that, treatment for a brain tumor varies depending on numerous factors including the patients age, location, general health, the size and type of the tumor. In my medicine career doctor Akoury explains; many patients alongside their loved ones often ask so many questions about brain cancer. This is very essential especially when the diagnosis has been done for the right treatment to be administered and also for them to be ready psychologically. Some of the most frequent questions under such circumstances may include:

How long will the treatment last?
What are the side effects?
What are some of the possible out-comes both short and long term?

These are not questions you can get their answers from anywhere. It is necessary that you seek answers directly from your medical specialist for all the information you need. Our doors at AWAREmed Health Center are always open for you and all you need to do is to give us a call and we will not hesitate to help you professionally with all your concerns.

Brain Cancer Treatment: Treatment summary

Brain cancer treatment procedure is complex and involves several consulting specialist. In most cases a team of experts will include neurosurgeons specializing on the brain and nervous system, oncologists, radiation oncologists and your family physician. Besides these we can also have specialist in various disciplines like dietitians, a social worker, a physical therapist and many others. And like we have mention, treatment process varies depending on the location of the tumor, its size and type, your age, and any additional medical problems that you may have. Finally in all these, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the most administered for patients.

Brain Cancer Treatment: Brain Cancer Surgery

For many patients with brain tumor, surgery is the most commonly used. This is used primarily to ascertain any abnormality seen during testing as tumor before making a decision to remove it. Where removing the tumor is not possible, a sample of the tumor will be taken by the surgeon to verify its type. However, in some cases like benign tumors, surgical removal of the tumor is enough to solve the problem effectively.

Finally, patients may undergo several treatments and procedures before surgery like for example: they may be given steroid drugs like dexamethasone to relieve swelling, anticonvulsant drug for preventing seizures. But in exceptional cases when a patient has too much cerebrospinal fluid around the brain, a thin, plastic tube known as shunt can be placed to drain the fluid with one end placed in the cavity where fluid collects and the other end placed under the skin on other part of the body. This enables easy elimination of the fluid from the brain.

Brain Cancer Treatment: Factors and side effects of treatment

Brain Cancer Treatment

January 9, 2018

Diagnosing Brain Cancer

January 9, 2018

Diagnosing Brain Cancer: Medical interview with AWAREmed

Diagnosing Brain Cancer effectively is the beginning of the right and effective treatment.

At the mention of brain cancer, many will skip a breath for obvious reasons. Cancer is a life threatening disease and one that needs timely remedy. It becomes even complicated when it is brain cancer. And that explains why diagnosing brain cancer in good time is a step in the right direction for all cancer patients. It is important to appreciate that fear is the greatest enemy to finding lasting solutions for brain cancer. And according to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, periodic findings of your medical interview and physical examination are essential as they will in all probability suggest to your health care provider any possibilities that you’re having a problem in the brain or brain stem.

In most cases, your physician will carry out a CT scan test on your brain. Remember that CT scan procedure is relatively similar to tests like an X-ray. The only different is that, its findings is more detailed in three dimensions. As a cancer patient, it will interest you to note that, under normal circumstances, a contrast dye is injected into your bloodstream primarily to highlight any abnormalities on the scan.

Besides the CT scan, we also have a more sophisticated diagnostic procedure known as MRI scan. This (MRI scan) is used in place of a CT scan for suspected brain tumors. MRI has a higher sensitivity for detecting the presence of, or changes within a tumor. Doctor Akoury explains that most patients suffering from brain cancer often has other health problems, and because of this periodic lab tests like blood analysis, electrolytes and liver functions among many other tests becomes necessary. Alongside that, however, for those with mental health problems, blood or urine tests becomes necessary to detect drug use. Where these tests detects a formation of brain tumor, visiting a cancer specialist (an oncologist) must be prioritised. And in this case a specialist in brain tumors, known as a neuro-oncologist becomes your best choice.

Diagnosing Brain Cancer: The Biopsy process

The next step in diagnosis is confirmation that you have a cancer, usually by taking and testing a sample of the tumor. This is called a biopsy:

Surgery is the most common technique used for obtaining a biopsy. It therefore means that, the skull will be opened to remove the whole tumor where possible. A biopsy is then taken from the tumor. In the event that the whole tumor can’t be removed, then a small piece of the tumor is removed. Nonetheless, in certain cases, it is possible to collect a biopsy without opening the skull. The exact location of the tumor in the brain is determined by using a CT or MRI scan. A small hole is made in the skull and a needle guided through the hole to the tumor. The needle collects the biopsy and is removed. This technique is called stereotaxis, or stereotactic biopsy. Finally, the biopsy is examined under a microscope by a pathologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing diseases by looking at cells and tissues). Now that you know the process of diagnosing brain cancer, you can do the right thing by scheduling an appointment with AWAREmed Health Center for more professional advice.

Diagnosing Brain Cancer: Medical interview with AWAREmed

Personalized treatment for dual diagnosis

July 17, 2017

Personalized treatment for dual diagnosis can also be done naturally

Personalized treatment for dual diagnosis: Mental health treatment solutions

People with dual disorders who want to engage in the personalized treatment systems tailored at addressing the real problem often have serious challenges and so quite frequently encounter several treatment systems with each having its own strengths and weaknesses. These treatment systems have different clinical approaches.

Personalized treatment for dual diagnosis: The mental health system

Actually, there is no single mental health system, although most States have a set of public mental health centers. Rather, mental health services are provided by a variety of mental health professionals including psychiatrists; psychologists; clinical social workers; clinical nurse specialists; other therapists and counselors including marriage, family, and child counselors (MFCCs); and paraprofessionals.

This mental health personnel works in a variety of settings, using a variety of theories about the treatment of specific psychiatric disorders. Different types of mental health professionals, for example, social workers, and MFCCs have differing perspectives; moreover, practitioners within a given group often use different approaches.

A major strength of the mental health system is the comprehensive array of services offered, including counseling, case management, partial hospitalization, inpatient treatment, vocational rehabilitation, and a variety of residential programs. The mental health system has a relatively large variety of treatment settings. These settings are designed to provide treatment services for patients with acute, sub-acute, and long-term symptoms.

Acute services are provided by personnel in emergency rooms and hospital units of several types and by crisis-line personnel, outreach teams, and mental health law commitment specialists.
Sub-acute services are provided by hospitals, day treatment programs, mental health center programs, and several types of individual practitioners.
Long-term settings include mental health centers, residential units, and practitioners’ offices.
Clinicians vary with regard to academic degrees, styles, expertise, and training.
The strength of the mental health system is the growing recognition at all system levels of the role of case management as a means to individualize and coordinate services and secures entitlements.

Medication is more often used in psychiatric treatment than in addiction treatment, especially for severe disorders. Medications used to treat psychiatric symptoms include psychoactive and nonpsychoactive medications. Psychoactive medications cause an acute change in mood, thinking, or behavior, such as sedation, stimulation, or euphoria.

Psychoactive medications (such as benzodiazepines) prescribed to the average patient with psychiatric problems are generally taken in an appropriate fashion and pose little or no risk of abuse or addiction. In contrast, the use of psychoactive medications by patients with a personal or family history of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) use disorder is associated with a high risk of abuse or addiction.

Some medications used in psychiatry that have mild psychoactive effects (such as some tricyclic antidepressants with mild sedative effects) appear to be misused more by patients with an AOD disorder than by others. Thus, a potential pitfall is prescribing psychoactive medications to a patient with psychiatric problems without first determining whether the individual also has an AOD use disorder.

While most clinicians in the mental health system generally have expertise in a biopsychosocial approach to the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders, some lack similar skills and knowledge about the specific drugs of abuse, the biopsychosocial processes of abuse and addiction, and AOD treatment, recovery, and relapse. Similarly, AOD treatment professionals may have a thorough understanding of AOD abuse treatment but not psychiatric treatment. That is why doctor Dalal Akoury made a decision to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. You can call her on telephone number 843 213 1480 for the completeness of your treatment.

Personalized treatment for dual diagnosis: Mental health treatment solutions

Irrational drinking effects

July 17, 2017

Irrational drinking effects are real and destructive to your health

Irrational drinking effects: Denial

When making reference to the real irrational drinking effects, many at times concentration is much on the physical health without looking at the social consequences attached to alcoholism and substance abuse. There are quite of very devastating social consequences which doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President, and founder of AWAREmed Health and Resource Center is going to share with us in this article. And as you continue unlocking your addiction problems and coming to terms with the realities of the dangers you’re putting yourself in, you can always start today by scheduling an appointment with the home of experts at AWAREmed Health Center for the commencement of your recovery process. Remember that early treatment is always preferred, however, if you have been in addiction for a long time, there is still hope and you can do the same now professionally with doctor Akoury. Now to the real compulsive drinking effects:

Irrational drinking effects: The effects of alcoholism and alcohol abuse on the people you love

Despite the potentially lethal damage that heavy drinking does to the body including cancer, heart problems, and liver disease the social consequences can be just as devastating. Alcoholics and alcohol abusers are much more likely to get divorced, have problems with domestic violence, struggle with unemployment, and live in poverty.

But even if you’re able to succeed at work or hold your marriage together, you can’t escape the effects that alcoholism and alcohol abuse has on your personal relationships. Drinking problems put an enormous strain on the people closest to you.

Often, family members and close friends feel obligated to cover for the person with the drinking problem. So they take on the burden of cleaning up your messes, lying for you, or working more to make ends meet. Pretending that nothing is wrong and hiding away all of their fears and resentments can take an enormous toll. Children are especially sensitive and can suffer long-lasting emotional trauma when a parent or caretaker is an alcoholic or heavy drinker.

Getting help for alcoholism or alcohol abuse

If you’re ready to admit you have a drinking problem, you’ve already taken the first step. It takes tremendous strength and courage to face alcohol abuse and alcoholism head on. Reaching out for support is the second step.

Whether you choose to go to rehab, rely on self-help programs, get therapy, or take a self-directed treatment approach, support is essential. Recovering from alcohol addiction is much easier when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance. Without support, it’s easy to fall back into old patterns when things get tough.

Your continued recovery depends on continuing mental health treatment, learning healthier coping strategies, and making better decisions when dealing with life’s challenges. In order to stay alcohol-free for the long term, you’ll also have to face the underlying problems that led to your alcoholism or alcohol abuse in the first place.

Those problems could be depression, an inability to manage stress, an unresolved trauma from your childhood, or any number of mental health issues. Such problems may become more prominent when you’re no longer using alcohol to cover them up. But you will be in a healthier position to finally address them and seek the help you need.

Category Archives: Integrative Addiction Treatment for Physicians