Luminous
A Catholic Woman and Her Thoughts on Life, the Universe, and Everything
Friday, May 09, 2008
Divine Mercy – Walking the Spiritual Journey with your Cancer Patient
Last week I attended a two-day conference in Worcester at Holy Cross College. I'd like to share my notes with you, each in separate postings.

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4th Annual Heathcare Professionals for Divine Mercy Conference
Medicine, Bioethics and Spirituality
April 29th & 30th 2008 – Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA

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Marie Romagnano, RN, BSN, CRC, CCM, CLCP, founder Healthcare Professionals for Divine Mercy – Walking the Spiritual Journey with your Cancer Patient

Case study of cancer patients – what can we learn from their suffering? What can their suffering teach us? What can the suffering of their loved ones teach us?

We tend to turn away from suffering. Our entire profession is geared to alleviating suffering, so many times we turn a blind eye to the lessons that those who are suffering – our patients and their loved ones – can teach us. But many times our best “teachers” are exactly those patients and their loved ones – if we have the eyes to see, the ears to hear – the open minds and hearts.

We can speak – He could not

Fr. Mark – cancer patient with tongue cancer – he could not speak due to surgery – he could not speak – yet his actions spoke louder than any words. He caused conversions, spiritual awakenings – he “offered up” his sufferings.

Share your life – if not with words, then with actions - this patient shared his life every moment of every day – with joy – with others all around him. Even when he’d be expected to be in pain, he had a smile for every one. When expected to have an “8” or “9” for pain, he’d say he was a “2” or a “3”, because he was “offering up” his suffering. He was trying to be supportive of the people around him.

Make the environment as comfortable for your patients as possible
  • Offer support – preach the Gospel at all times – when necessary, use words (St. Francis)
  • Pray as you walk into the room.
  • Personalize your care for each patient’s needs.
  • USE the assistance of the patient’s family and friends (train them if you need to) – the patient will feel immeasurably more comfortable if even some of his care can be given by friends or family – with loving hands
  • Lean on the grace of God
  • Have confidence and acceptance of God’s will in the patient’s life – be calm “pray, hope, don’t worry”

Path to Holiness:

The path of the Patient – Path of the Provider: it is our job to take this work with us and become the Merciful Presence of the Lord in their lives. Offer support, offer an environment where the patient, family, and friends can pray, meditate, offer up their suffering – know God in whatever way they can. The Patient can be an incredible example of courage and grace to each of us.

We can be “living tabernacles” for our patients – bringing them Jesus every day, by everything that we do and say.

Written at 4:00 AM by Luminaria2112.
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