A Wife's Heartbreak
- Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes shared some of her private pain with customers at her Atlanta lounge: Her husband Gregg is tragically losing his fight with colon cancer.
- NeNe and Gregg first married in 1997 and divorced in 2011. The couple remarried in 2013.
- Palliative care can help comfort a person at the end of life, and it is important to know that palliative care can actually help patients at all stages. Using these support services at the beginning of your cancer journey can improve quality of life.
Apparently, the Bravo star, 53, was called out for not participating in a guest’s birthday celebration, which prompted her to share why she wasn’t in the best of spirits.
Read MoreRelated: The Toughest ConversationsLosing a Spouse to Cancer
Real estate investor Gregg Leakes, 67, was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2018 and had gone into remission following treatment. In June, NeNe announced is cancer had come back.
“If you've ever been around somebody who's had cancer before, he's different,” she shared at the time. “He's different.”
Leakes posted a somber message on her Instagram yesterday that just read “Broken,” with a prayer and heart emoji. Fans and friends have been rallying support for the star with comforting messages and prayers.
The couple shares one son, Brentt Leakes, age 22. NeNe has another son, Bryson Rashard Bryant, 31, from a previous relationship.
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NeNe and Gregg first married in 1997 and divorced in 2011. They remarried in 2013.
After Gregg initially beat his cancer, he thanked his wife for her support. “Thank you to the best caregiver i could have ever had and one who is a vital part of my beating cancer, my wife,” he wrote.
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Palliative Care
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) defines palliative care as "an approach to care that addresses the person as a whole, not just their disease." It's a type of care that's meant to address the symptoms and side effects that your cancer or its treatment may cause, ranging from psychological experiences like stress and fear to physical experiences like pain and discomfort.
However, it is important to know that palliative care isn’t just for patients at the end of life. It is a term that refers to numerous supportive services. Seeing a palliative care team from the very beginning of your cancer journey can improve both quality of life and overall survival time. Studies have shown that palliative care can not only make a big difference in symptom management and quality of life, but can actually extend survival, too.
Related: It's Time We Cleared Up Some Misconceptions About Palliative Care
Dr. Elizabeth Kvale, the director of the Supportive Care and Survivorship Program and medical director of the cancer treatment program at LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes at UT Health Austin, expanded on this topic with SurvivorNet.
"People who get palliative care actually live longer than people who don't get palliative care when they have advanced cancer,” Dr. Kvale said. "The survival advantage that people get with cancer is about three months if they get early palliative care."
Related: Palliative Cancer Care is Different for Everyone
How often a patient meets with their palliative care team will vary depending on their unique needs. Some patients might meet with a palliative care specialist every week to manage side effects. Others might meet every month or every couple of months, continuing even after treatment has ended.
Palliative care teams can help to address not only their physical side effects, but also the emotional and financial impacts of a cancer diagnosis. "The sooner patients with serious cancer get palliative care, the better," Dr. Kvale expressed.
With Palliative Cancer Care, The Sooner the Better
Living BetterWhat is Palliative Care?
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