Seek Support if Cancer Strikes
A 4-foot northern pike stars in one of actor Rob Lowe's favorite tales about his father.
"Like many kids, I really enjoyed going on fishing trips with my dad," says Lowe, former star of TV's "West Wing." "We've caught a lot of fish together over the years. But the one I remember most was the monster pike we battled on a lake in northern Manitoba, back when I was still in high school.
"It took me nearly 20 minutes to land that fish -- with my dad providing advice and encouragement every step of the way."
Lowe learned to treasure such memories as his father, Chuck, fought non-Hodgkins lymphoma, an often-fatal cancer.
"My father's illness was first diagnosed back in 1991," says Lowe. "As you can imagine, the diagnosis had a devastating impact on our family....Your father is your hero. He's the strong man in your life. When major illness strikes, that illusion of invulnerability is completely shattered."
Lowe saw his father, a hardy trial lawyer, slide into a grave illness.
"The physicians who cared for my father were amazing, and his survival is the direct result of their efforts," says Lowe. "But there were many setbacks along the way. We didn't realize, for example, that cancer chemotherapy often causes major infections in patients -- infections that can become almost as dangerous as the disease itself."
Chuck Lowe rode out his illness. Today he's back in court, his disease in remission.
What did Rob Lowe learn from the ordeal?
"Most of all, I learned how important it is for cancer patients to have an effective support network," he says. "If my dad had been able to talk to some lymphoma survivors early on, he'd have been far better prepared to cope with the infection that nearly destroyed his chances for recovery. After what we went through, I'm convinced as never before that the key to recovery from diseases such as cancer is being able to learn from other people who've already survived them."
The star of such movies as "St. Elmo's Fire" and "Wayne's World" serves as spokesman for Voices of Experience, a cancer support network set up in 2002 by the Cancer Hope Network and Amgen. The network, he says, offers "one-on-one encouragement and assistance to cancer patients and their loved ones on a free and confidential basis, through trained support volunteers -- all of whom are cancer survivors."
Patients, family, and friends can sign up by logging on to the Web site: www.bymyside.com.
Lowe says supportive caregivers can make a huge difference.
"When my dad was fighting cancer, we sometimes felt like we were the first family ever to have gone through this experience," he says. "I wish we could have talked to other people who had been through my dad's type of cancer and treatment."
Support networks aid the seriously ill
A network of family and friends provides vital help and comfort during a serious illness.
"I don't think there's any doubt that the family support system is an incredibly important factor in determining outcomes for patients," says Ritchie Shoemaker, M.D., author of three books on managing chronic illnesses. "Studies have shown over and over again that people who are well supported by family and friends tend to experience better outcomes than those who are left in isolation."
Doctors don't have time to check on a patient hour by hour, says Dr. Shoemaker, a recent Maryland Family Physician of the Year. "Given that reality, it's important for the patient's family members and friends to step in and help." That can mean anything from picking up a prescription to "sitting at the sick person's bedside as a companion."
Support networks made up of disease survivors can be very helpful to patients, says Dr. Shoemaker. "Talking to people who've already been through the experience of chemotherapy or surgery is often quite comforting for those who are struggling with the impact of a major illness."
To find support groups, Dr. Shoemaker suggests you check with agencies such as the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) or American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org).