For my pathology project i chose to interview a woman suffering with the condition of stomatch cancer. My interviewe is a 61 year old woman who was diagnosted when she was 60, this past december. Before client A was diagnost there where a few events leading up to this condition. Client A was having alot of gallbladder problems, as well as having a hernia on her right abdomin side. After seeing the doctor she had to have her gallbladder removed in the 90s due to gain green, which is an infection.
She did also have a mesh done on her hernia, which led to surgery but has not gone away. she still deals with the hernia which is still protruding again. Because of having two surgreys done it has effected her kidneys and now one kidney has shriveld up and is being looked at to eventually be removed. Before actually being diagnost with stomatch cancer, she wasnt feeling well, her skin started to take on a yellowish pale color. she started noticing she was having a much difficultier time breathing.
She was having such a hardb time breathing that it got to the point where she could hardly stand or even walk two feet without feeling the sensation of passing out. She started to notice she was always feeling exhausted, she never had any evergy, and was loosing weight significantly. she felt she was exhausted beyond belief from not doing any activity. Finally she decided to go to the doctors because she was getting worried. The doctors found that she was very anemic and had been suffering from a significant amou nt of blood loss with no open wounds.
The doctor decided to infuse her with bags of bloood to the the anemia under control. the doctor felt it was best to do a MRI first and secondly a pet scan to find out what was causeing such a significant amout of blood loss. After the testing the doctor noticeds that there was a grey shadow in the pet scan in her abdomin area. They continued to do more testing and found that it was cancer of the stomatch. Her liver was slightly enlarged due to all the blood loss. The doctor thought the cancer was eating the blood.
As a pfrecaution the doctor recomended to her to have iron infusions everyweek to help keep under control the anemia. She also had to participate in three months of aggressive kemo therapy intervenisly for a few hours weekly at the widden hospital in everett. Some side effects of the kemo therpay that she had suffered from where that her hands and her feet were facing new sensitivities to touch, to cold, the cold sends zings up her finger zips and through her body. Her anterior surface of her hands were begining to feel off,so she has to wear thick gloves, to prevent shock.
Her nails became very brittle but no signs of hair loss. Also due to the kemo therapy one of her arms very badly bruised. After three months of kemo therapy and more testing client A stared to heal and feel much better, but was still loosing weight rapidly. The doctor presribed her nausia medicine to help with the fatigue as well as a take home kemo medicine. Having had stomatch cancer has effected her day to day life tremendesley. She cant wear regular pants like jeans or slacks. she has to have some type of loose pants with a elastic band kind of like hospital pants or pajamma pants.
Shes has recently lost her appetite and there are a few days were she feels very fatigue but other then that health wise she feels much better then before. This type of cancer is very rear especially in woman, it is usually found within black or asain men. A few things that have been helpful to client A is that she doesnt have to work, she can rest as much as possible. Her husband and her family are a great support system for her. Her daughter who lives with her also helps to take vcare of her. But overall she feels the treatment was sucessful for her.
A few months prior to client A diganosis her best friend had past away. When client A was at the hospital waiting for the doctor to tell her what she had been dianosted with Client A saw her bestfriend was standing in the corner of her room smiling at her. When the doctor walked in the room to tell her he seemed very sad and was having a hard time telling her, she reached her hand and laid it on his shoulder and told him its okay dont be afraid for me you can tell me what i have because i am going to beat it anyways, and she did.
Client A’s prognosis is that they are looking to remove her stomatch completly and bring her intestine up to her esphous as soon as the procedure is completed and she is healed they are looking too remove the shriveld kidney. Ive interviewed two different massage therapists that have worked with someone suffering with this condition. A few contraindications for this particular condition would be position. Someone suffering with this condition cannot lay on there stomatch at all, lots of bolstering for stomatch legs and arms.
You would bolster the same way you would for a pregnancy massage, with little to none fipping. Because of the kemo treatment you wanna be careful of DVT which is deep vein thrombrosis, resulting in the legs could cause blood clotting. MT would want to be using a light pressure, on a pressure scale pressure one adn two would be appropriate no more then two though. Most likely wouldnt want to work the hands because of the peeling shes is going through, and because there is some spliting in the skin you woulnt wanna cause an infection.
Avoid the stomatch completley. If client had had syptoms of nausia that day you would wanna use a fragrance hypoallergenic free lotion or oil. Also would want to use sheets that havent been washed with a scented detergent. Some indication for someone with this condition would be relaxation, nurturing, destressing and a soothing massage. A few benefits that would be beneficial for someone with stomatch cancer is relaxation, helps to help someone fall asleep if their lacking sleep. they will feel very rested and hopefully want to recieve another one.
Also because her skin is so dry the massage will be very moisturizing to the skin, which helps decreses the sensation of itchyness. Because the kemo arm is all bruised i would work on it but could do static holds or some energy work on that arm. Also use arm bolstering so her arm doesnt rollback and forth. Typically with this type of a client you would want a doctors note but for her you could work a non circulatory massage. You could possibly use a pressure of 3 on her back and shoulders. This massage therapist would like for this client to come weekley, as long as it was affordable.
The second MT i interviewed said theres alot that goes into setting up a treatment for this client. timimg is everything and if she were to work she wouldnt want to work either before then go in for their kemo or at leaste three to four days after recieveing kemo. leaving time for the body to intergret. She would also avoid all primary areas as well as all secondary areas where the cancer can spread, also avoid abdomin. Also make sure there is no metatasis? where did it spread and if it did metatasis avoid those areas. Also keeping in mind of using a pressure of one to two, no deeper then that.
extremely gentle levelones. Use bolsters so everything is nice and soft. An indicayion might be that massageing the body is nurturing, deffinetly wanna keep her warm, heating pad toasty. Benefits for this person is reducing sysptoms of treatment, nausisa, sleep, giving them a better more positive association with their body. it can be very nurturing experience and showing her, her body can be a source of pleasure. it will also decrease stress, and must feel really good to know someone cares about you and wants greatly to help you and focus.
A massage treatment for this person would consist of again extremely gentle pressure avoid primary and seconday areas lots of soft comfy bolstering, ask client if then would like to side lay or start supine with little to no flipping at all. Mt might want to reduce the length of massage too fourty five mintues because an hour massage may be too much. It would be nice to end supine to do some face and neck work. MT would also like to recieve a doctors note to perform appriopriate massage to give the client the best overall experience.