ESSAY BNURS20 Bachelor Of Nursing

BNURS20 Bachelor Of Nursing

Answers:

Introduction

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and the third most common cancer across the globe. Colon cancer screening is mostly identified through colonoscopies and there are always possibilities of new biomarkers among the patients. All types of metastatic cancers are considered incurable within the initiation phase of training of the oncologists (Guo & Deng, 2018). The purpose of the assessment is to elaborate on the live experience of people living with metastatic bowel cancer. Through the development of the patient personal experience, the real-life experiences and the sufferings of an individual have been explained.

Discussion

Cancer can be a key driver considering the changes within your lifestyle. I am Zuni Dench. Born and brought up in Australia and am currently fighting colorectal cancer. I live with my husband in Melbourne and I am 50. I work full-time as a teacher. My hobby of gardening and social activities keeps me busy most of the time. Frequent changes in bowel habits, diarrhea, and prolonged abdominal discomfort pushed me toward the medical check-up. In 2021, my husband and I found out through a colonoscopy that I was suffering from metastatic bowel cancer.

Surgical resection and implementation of chemotherapy at the same time are the fundamental treatment for metastatic bowel cancer (Gorgen et l., 2018). At the initial stage, I was facing different difficulties, and conducting a prolonged colonoscopy let us know about the reasons for the discomfort I was facing. Not only the physiological changes I have suffered psychological changes as well. Receiving the treatment and going through the overall experience is very much stressful for a cancer patient (Seiler, & Jenewein, 2019). The depression and anxiety I was facing were devastating for me. Along with that, my fear of colonoscopy is nothing compared to my fear of dying of colorectal cancer. I have identified further that my life will never be the same and I have to go through a lot of transitions. The issues related to psychological changes and post-traumatic disorder were a major concern for my care professional and my husband. Doctors considered physical exercise intervention to get rid of depression and cancer-related fatigue (Ormel et al., 2018). The early-stage diagnosis helped me a lot and along with the therapy I was focusing on the changes within my lifestyle as well.

After the diagnosis, I went through the partial removal surgical procedure of my colon. I read different articles regarding colon cancer and its surgical procedures of the same. Throughout this situation, my husband was very much supportive and aware of what I was going through. The chemotherapy led me to hair loss and other physiological changes. The conventional beauty standards and the distorted image of beauty led me towards more distress and depression. Along with that, the fear of dying and the pain I was going through were beyond explanation. Specific lifestyle changes behaviors and developing a habit of physical exercise have helped people to mitigate the risks of metastatic bowel cancer (van Zutphen et al., 2019). After identifying these factors and with the recommendations of doctors I finally focused on a healthy lifestyle. During the days of my treatment, I used to have sleep difficulties, gastrointestinal problems, sensory neuropathy, and many other conditions that disrupted my overall lifestyle. However, I have identified my way back to recovery and the prolonged effect of colorectal cancer was mitigated through effective medication. I found myself in a place where I have adjusted my lifestyle by losing a small part of myself.

After the diagnosis, I went into severe depression and faced difficulties coping with the changes I was going through. Psychiatric supervision is the only thing that could have saved me along with my family support. Due to the changes, the patient goes through an existential crisis and the patient might develop severe anxiety and depression as well (Ross, 2018). My psychiatrist focused on the changes within my mind and thinking. The implementation of positive aspects of life. Through the intervention, I revived my basic functionality and cognitive abilities as a whole.

Throughout my experience as a survivor of chronic metastatic bowel cancer I have identified that if you look at this as a chronic condition, you can find it manageable. We have to put one thing in mind the primary purpose of treating the chronic situation due to metastatic bowel cancer is to manage the conditions and mitigate the risk factors in our lifestyles. The management of symptoms will furthermore help us to develop a positive outlook toward the disease. Quality of life and maintenance of wellbeing has become a major part of treatment while considering the mitigation of the risk factors of bowel cancer (Coens et al., 2020). Social anxiety and constant fear can reduce the quality of life and functionality of the patient as well (LI et al., 2018). I restricted myself from social gatherings after the surgery and isolated myself from my family as well. However, in the end, I overcame the devastating situation through medical and psychological intervention along with the support of my family.

Conclusion

As a nursing professional, I have learned that time of diagnosis and effective care planning is fundamental for treating any type of disease. Furthermore, patient communication and patient-family education a basic approaches when treating a disease like cancer. As a nursing professional, I would like to focus on patient requirements and the resources of maintaining the demands of the patient. Furthermore, I would like to focus on the psychiatric intervention considering the transitions the patient is going through. Along with that, the changes in the lifestyle should be communicated to the patient and their families in order to manage the interventions of cancer. The mitigation of the risk behaviors and symptoms of the disease should be considered the primary aspect of treating the patient. Therefore, as a nursing personnel, I would like to focus on effective care planning and patient education regarding the disease.

References