Here’s a look at the many ways your supportive care team can help you feel better — physically, mentally, and emotionally — throughout your treatment process.
Treatment Side Effects
Supportive care is especially helpful for managing treatment side effects. If your treatment is making you susceptible to infections, for example, palliative care may include antivirals or antibiotics, or if you’re dealing with pain, you may be prescribed pain medication.
Extreme fatigue may prompt your palliative care team to suggest iron pills or nutritional supplements, or prescribe antidepressants. They can also offer support for hypothyroidism, inflammation of the lungs, or other health conditions related to your lymphoma treatment.
Nutritional Counseling
“It’s important to maintain your calories and protein intake, especially during treatment, to avoid weight loss and frailty,” says Dr. Kamdar. Your supportive care team can connect you with an oncology-registered dietitian to create a meal plan that keeps you nourished while addressing any gastrointestinal side effects or changes in taste you may be experiencing.
Fertility Preservation
Lymphoma treatment, specifically chemotherapy and radiation, can negatively impact fertility. If you’re concerned about how treatment will impact your ability to conceive, your supportive care team can help you navigate options like egg and embryo freezing or sperm and testicular tissue freezing.
Treatment Planning
Deciding how to manage your LBCL treatment can be incredibly stressful, and doubly so in situations where your cancer requires urgent treatment. Your palliative care team can help you better understand your options and chart a treatment course in conjunction with your doctors and loved ones.
Mental Health Counseling
It’s common for people diagnosed with B-cell lymphomas to experience elevated levels of distress, anxiety, and depression that impact their quality of life.
Your care team can connect you with mental health resources, like individual or group therapy, to help you develop new coping skills and feel more supported during this challenging time.
Self-Esteem and Body Image
Cancer treatments can result in hair loss and weight changes, which can impact your body image and self-esteem. Palliative care can help you find ways to feel better about these changes and obtain prostheses like wigs.
Social Support
You’ll likely feel less alone and more hopeful if you connect with others who are going through a similar experience. Your palliative care team can help you find cancer support groups or large B-cell lymphoma-specific groups, as well as those tailored to your specific age group or gender. They can help your loved ones find support resources, too.