The unexpected technical issues we were experiencing at Oak Valley Health has been resolved. While we are back to regular operations, our teams continue work to clear the backlog. This may take a few days and patients may experience longer wait times when visiting. Thank you for your patience.
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Before seeing our team
Diagnosis
You may have scans, blood work, tests, and appointments as your health care team works together to find out if you have cancer. This may be done at Markham Stouffville Hospital or at another hospital close to your home.
Treatment
The main ways to fight cancer include: the removal of tumors by surgery and stopping or slowing their growth by using systemic or radiation therapy treatments.
What can I expect?
Our clinic consists of specialized oncology health care professionals that work together to design a treatment plan that is right for you.
First appointment
Your first appointment may require you to do bloodwork one hour before your appointment with the doctor.
You will be greeted by the nurse and your height and weight will be taken. There may be paper work to complete and a set of questions to be answered.
Checklist:
Health card
Medication and vitamins list
Support person (one or two people)
Any other information you feel is important
First treatment appointment
After checking in at the Systemic Therapy Suite’s main reception, you will receive an arm band. Please have a seat in the waiting area and a nurse will call you in.
You will walk through our Chemotherapy Clinic and sit in an assigned station with your assigned nurse. You will receive chemotherapy information and speak with a pharmacist.
Symptom management
What is anxiety?
According to Cancer Care Ontario, anxiety is a range of symptoms such as feeling nervous, worried, and fearful and can cause different symptoms in your mind and body such as uneasiness, restlessness, trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, and chest pain/heart palpitations.
What causes anxiety when you have cancer?
Medications i.e. steroids or anti-nausea medications
Depression or anxiety before you had cancer
Side effects like nausea/pain
Worries about the future, family, or cancer coming back
Worrying about suffering or death
Worries about money, job, or other practical things
Waiting for results
Loss of control over parts of your life
Treatment and when to get help
Moderate to severe
Last more than two to three weeks
Interferes with your ability to cope with daily life
Combined with symptoms of depression or feeling down most of the time.
Counselling
What can I do to help my anxiety?
Support system
Find out about support resources in your community by contacting the Canadian Cancer Society Community Services Locator at 1-888-939-3333 or at csl.cancer.ca
You can also speak with your cancer care team or family doctor
Keep your regular routine as much as you can
Things you enjoy such as hobbies, favourite TV shows, social things with friends/family
Move your body, light exercise and movement, and slowly increase the amount of time you move
Focus on what makes you feel better
Spend time with supportive people who make you laugh
Focus your attention on the things and people that bring you joy
Avoid negative people/things that cause you stress
Feeling sad and worried is normal when you have cancer.
Depression can cause you to have low energy, feel sluggish, sleep and eat more or less than before, feel hopeless, have feelings of guilt, anxiety, trouble thinking, or remembering things.
Depression is an illness that can be treated. Talk to your health care team if you need help coping.
Loose, watery, or unformed stool that can happen more than three to four times per day. May cause an urgent need to go to the bathroom and you may not be able to stop yourself from having a bowel movement.
Can also cause stomach cramps, restlessness, dehydration, and sore skin around the bum area.
Causes can include cancer treatments, medications, stress, anxiety, infection, foods that upset your stomach, health products or vitamins, and other medical problems.
Treatment:
Take anti-diarrhea medication prescribed by your health care team
Drink lots of fluids
Six to eight cups of liquid each day
Avoid artificial sweetener, spicy foods, greasy or fried meats, and raw vegetables
Pain can be described as hurting or suffering, may come and go, or be with you all the time.
Types of pain
Bone
Nerve
Soft tissue
Causes
Tumour pressing against organs, nerves, or body parts
Symptoms or side effects of cancer and treatments
Medical tests and procedures such as biopsies
Managing cancer pain
Take your pain medication(s)
Move your body
Mindfulness or complementary therapies
Other treatments recommended by your health care provider
Your team may also choose a palliative approach to managing your pain. Palliative care or the pain and symptom team may focus on reliving your symptoms and helping you feel comfortable. It can help people at all stages of cancer and treatments and is not only for those at the end of life.
Intimacy and sex may change when you have cancer and may change your body.
Your sex life may be different after having cancer but with time and effort you can have a good sex life again.
Coping with changes in your sex life
When your body goes through changes from cancer, you may experience feelings of grief or loss, such as loss of a body part like a breast or prostate.
Other changes that can affect your sex life are problems with erectile function, pain or discomfort during sex, dry mouth, or mouth sores.
Treatment side effects
Menopause: When the ovaries stop making estrogen and you have not had a menstrual period for at least 12 months. Usually occurs around 50 years of age, however, some cancer treatments cause menopause to occur earlier.
Vaginal changes: Regularly applying moisturizers can help keep the vaginal tissues moist and relieve vaginal dryness.
Lubricants are used during sex to make it more comfortable.
Medications may be suggested depending on the cause of the sexual problem (including low-dose vaginal estrogen, vaginal lidocaine, hormone replacement therapy, or intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterone).
Vaginal dryness: Refer to Sexual Health, for more information.
Oak Valley Health is dedicated to providing our patients and community members with health education to help you to manage your health conditions and be a well-informed patient.
As part of the Cancer Care Network, our patients have the opportunity to access resources from the Princess Margaret Hospital website.
Learn about cancer when you are ready with free, self-directed online classes. You can log in anytime, anywhere, and learn at your own pace. Share your learning with friends and family.
