Support is Vital During and After Cancer
- Comedian Kathy Griffin, 61, has been showing a more vulnerable side to herself after battling lung cancersprinkled in with her other hilarious posts of course.
- The Grammy winner recently posted a sweet picture in mid-smooch with husband Randy Bick, 43, on a California beach, and despite her struggles with cancer complications, has been expressing how happy she is with her love.
- If you feel you do not have anyone in your life or are afraid to ask for help from friends, a caring medical social worker can serve as a guide and companion during your cancer treatment journey.
The Los Angeles native posted a pic with her marketing executive husband Randy Bick, 43, in mid-smooch, dressed casually on a serene California beach.
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Griffin and her longtime partner, a marketing executive, tied the knot on New Year’s Day in 2020. She shared some throwback wedding pics at the top of the year of their special day.
“Two years ago today, after nearly 9 years of dating, Randy and I got married,” Griffin wrote in the anniversary tribute. “As someone who considers herself to be so unlucky in many areas of life, I cannot believe I finally got lucky in love.”
Griffin was previously married for five years to hairstylist, actor and IT support technician Matt Moline, 51.
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Griffin has also been showing the racy sense of humor we know and love as she has referenced oral sex with her husband multiple times while joking about her real-life complications with swallowing due to lung cancer surgery complications.
“LET ME BE VULGAR, I NEED VULGARITY TO SURVIVE,” she wrote while cracking the sexual jokes, which she was admittedly half kidding about.
‘I Just Want to Have Sex Again:’ Life After Treatment
From the way Griffin gushes about Bick, it is evident that she is super in love. (The Grammy winning comic was married once before and got lucky the second time around.) The couple’s happy ending should serve as a reminder that if you’re not getting the support you need during canceror life, for that matterperhaps it’s time to reassess. And if you don’t have a partner … or don’t want one? That’s okay too. Regardless, it’s important to surround yourself with a loving support system, whether it’s friends, family, or other survivors.
Finding Support During Cancer
In addition to a loving spouse or significant other, friends, and family, a medical social worker can serve as a kind of guide and companion during your cancer treatment journey. A caring professional can especially be helpful if you feel you do not have anyone in your life, or are afraid to ask for help during your hard time.
Medical Social Workers Offer Emotional Support to Cancer Patients
Most of us go about our daily lives, with a kind of vague awareness that life does not go on forever. Laurie Ostacher, medical social worker at Sutter Bay Medical Foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area, talked to SurvivorNet about the benefits of seeking support from a social worker.
Related: Five Ways to Support Someone after A Cancer DiagnosisNever Say 'How Can I Help?'
"There's nothing like an oncology diagnosis to force the issue of confronting your own mortality," Ostacher expressed. "A social worker's role is to [offer emotional support], and help you 'metabolize' that knowledge and that experience."
Everyone needs some kind of a companion during and after cancer battle, even just someone to answer the phone. Furry friends can help, too!
Kathy Griffin’s Lung Cancer Battle
Kathy Griffin’s cancer battle luckily yielded positive results, as she recently announced that she beat the disease. Griffin, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer in 2021. This indicates that the cancer hasn't spread to the lymph nodes or other organs in the body. Griffin had surgery to treat her disease, which, as mentioned, impacted her voice and her vocal chords. Although Griffin is having to adjust to a fragile voice for the time being, she is fighting every day to get stronger and even recently started getting back on stage again.
Related: Lung Cancer in Smokers vs. Non-Smokers
Symptoms of lung cancer typically include:
- Sudden and unexplained weight loss
- Constant coughing that becomes painful over time
- Shortness of breath
- Changes in voice or difficulty speaking without getting winded
- Pain in the torso, mid- and upper-back, and shoulders
- Discoloration or a sudden change in color of mucus and saliva
Lung cancer surgery impacts the body in various ways. It may cause fatigue, leaving the patient feeling weak and tired. There's also the risk of infection after surgery. Signs of infection after lung cancer surgery can include: shivering, feeling nauseous, swelling or redness around the surgical wound, and fluctuating temperature. Speak with your doctor if you experience any of these things.
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