Hospice Massage

[Jill Kim]

I am trying to decide what to do here. I had a young client of mine die of lung cancer and in the end was going to her home to massage her. I was not sure how I would feel about doing this, but I came away from the experience feeling honored to be able to bring some very much appreciated comfort, at least temporarily. I am not trained specifically to work with cancer patients, but I was able to determine what I felt was the best approach by interacting with her hospice nurses for direction.

I now have another client dying from ovarian cancer, and although she has not called me since her return from her winter stay in Florida, I know that she is deteriorating. She was a regular and loves massage, and I am struggling a little here trying to decide if I should call her.

Also, a good friend of mine has a sister who is dying of cancer. I want to offer to help her also, although we've never met.

I feel I'm being "guided" somehow into this type of work and wonder if any of you do this on a regular basis, i.e., work for a hospital, hospice or some other agency, and what your thoughts are on the work.

In any event, I plan on taking a formal workshop specific to working with cancer patients.

 

[carmenlafond]

Here in the Detroit metropolitan area we have a hospital that does training specifically for cancer patients with massage. Requirements are graduation from a massage school. Perhaps there is such a program in your area at a hospital somewhere near you? They may be able to point you into that direction even further and help you to find employment with another hospital in the area. If there is a cancer institute in your area also, they may know of some programs where you could find more training and/or information. Let us know how it goes!

 

[Jessie C]

dodab -

Since I am in the Boston area, we have some of the best hospitals in the world, and I am sure some of them have positions for massage therapists working with cancer patients. I just haven't explored that yet.

I was interested in knowing how mts who work with cancer patients on a regular basis deal with their own emotions and feelings.

 

[12345]

I too am interested in massage for cancer patients...


Dodab,

I am in the MetroDetroit Area as well. Can u tell me which hospital offers the class please? Is it Harper? Thanks for the info!

Jen

 

[Brian A]

Ideally, I would like to work toward hospice work, both professionally and emotionally... Honestly, fear strikes me still whenever I think about hospices or even convalescent homes, because the ones I've been around have had a strong air of hopelessness, it is draining. However, when I think about it, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy - the hopelessness is made stronger by avoidance - and I can only imagine how the residents in the homes feel. I would love to be able to work up to a point where I can get past my own fears and accountability issues and reach out to offer touch to the people who probably need it the most. I greatly admire people who work with cancer patients, the terminally ill, and the dying. I can only imagine that it is very painful on one level, but an infinitely life-changing experience on another. There is really nothing to fear about death when I think about it; or at least, we are all going to step out of our bodies at some point, it is unavoidable, so why spend so much time letting it eat away at us? The least we can do in the presence of the dying is to make the rest of their stay on Earth as comfortable as possible, and I hope to one day contribute to that with massage.

The Heart Touch Foundation is one organization that I'm aware of in this area (Los Angeles, CA) that reaches out to give touch to those leaving this world. I haven't done much research outside of that, though I know that Tracy Walton has been mentioned on this board as well as the author of a book titled Medicine Hands in terms of people who teach massage for cancer patients... and I believe they travel the country to teach workshops?

Best of luck in your search and training. It is a very noble and caring thing that you do t049

 

[sligoman]

Backrubmonster -

I relate to what you are saying and share your feelings. As mts. I think we are "healers" innately - we want to help people. Working with the terminally ill is helping people, but ultimately they do not recover. The dynamic is that you do help them, albiet temporarily, but given the situation, I think it's one of the greatest gifts you, or anyone, can gift them. And to be able to do that is, for me, a privilege and honor.

Funny you should mention Tracy Walton - she was a teacher of mine when I was in school (MTI). I knew that she offered workshops in cancer massage training and I looked up her next workshops in my area. I am considering taking them, in July. (I also took prenancy massage training with her a long while back.) She is a lovely woman.

Thanks for your perspective on this type of work.

 

[J-Charm]

Most everyone I have worked with (who are close to death) have been elderly. I have a soft spot in my heart for those in "homes" as working with the residents has been one of my most rewarding jobs.

I think I would feel quite a bit of emotion working with younger folks who are in the last seforum.xxxes of life. I would probably internalize it and think "what if this were my child, my sister, my brother, my husband, etc." and I would probably cry too when clients were wasting away and in pain. But I would still think it's rewarding. And perhaps I would actually grow through alot of my "internalizing" faster and come to a calm place where I could just give love, peace, calm, and safety to my clients through my touch. That would be my goal anyway.

 

[ladypam60]

Take the Tracy Walton class, you won't be sorry, especially since she's right there! Gayle MacDonald is the author of "Medicine Hands". Get it too. Tracy and Gayle sometimes work together and they share info. You will learn to handle cancer patients with confidence. Her clinical process helps define the parameters of the massage and frees you to work intuitively with what you have left.
You're going to be suprised at the facts that contradict what most of us have been taught.
A great deal of the training was developing sensitivity and understanding the viewpoint of the client/patient. Much reading of quotes.
You'll learn how to provide comfort and benefit with what seems so to be so little. Basically, lose the need to fix something.
In keeping with Tracy's spirit of teaching, here's a couple of quotes...
(BTW, I lost my first wife to cancer and was the primary caregiver, so I've been up close and personal with the experience.)


When I was Diagnosed with Cancer:

My first friend came and expressed his shock by saying, “I can’t believe that you have cancer. I always thought you were so active and healthy.” He left and I felt alienated and somehow very “different.”

My second friend came and brought me information about different treatments being used for cancer. She said “Whatever you do, don’t take chemotherapy. It’s a poison! ”She left and I felt scared and confused.

My third friend came and tried to answer my “whys?” with the statement “Perhaps God is disciplining you for some sin in your life?” He left and I felt guilty.

My fourth friend came and told me, “If your faith is just great enough God will heal you.” She left and I felt my faith must be inadequate.
My fifth friend came and told me to remember that “All things work together for good.” He left and I felt angry.

My sixth friend never came at all. I felt sad and alone.

My seventh friend came and held my hand and said, “I care, I’m here, I want to help you through this.” She left and I felt loved!

LINDA MAE RICHARDSON




Massage therapy is not contraindicated in cancer patients, massaging a tumor is, but there is a great deal more to a person than their tumor.

-Bernie Siegel, M.D.