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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 8 June 2020

A handy list of resources for living with the coronavirus and managing your chronic conditions. Just look for your condition below. If you don't find what you are looking for, please leave a comment and we will get back to you.    

We must live with Covid-19 pandemic for a while. For people with chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, rheumatic conditions, pulmonary conditions, it is even more essential to manage these conditions better. For e.g. a person whose blood sugars are under control is better equipped to deal with the coronavirus infection. 

As we prepare for the easing of restrictions, we must be aware of the risks of infection associated with it and mitigate these risks by practicing safety guidelines viz. mask hygiene, regular washing and sanitisation of hands, and maintaining safe distance at all times. 

We must also recognise that we cannot delay seeking help and treatment of our chronic conditions, and seek out the doctor. The process of these has changed in some places. While some places have started OPDs, most still require that you first connect and consult with the doctor through telemedicine. If the doctor advises you to go for tests or go see the doctor in person, please go ahead and not delay diagnosis and treatment. Do not let your fear of Covid-19 risk overtake your need for timely care.

We have also compiled resources for various conditions. Click on the topics you are interested in to get a detailed understanding of your specific condition. If you have specific questions, you can ask in our discussion forums or contact us at  https://www.patientsengage.com/contact

Cancer

1. How to manage cancer treatment during Covid-19 by Dr. Vinay Deshmane, Consultant in Surgical Oncology & Breast Diseases and Medical Director and Jnt. Hon secretary of the Indian Cancer Society. Link to the webinar recording.

2.Also, here is the link to the key notes from the recording of the above webinar    

Diabetes 

1. How to live well with Diabetes during Covid-19 by Dr. Debashis Basu, Diabetes Awareness and You

2. How to manage diabetes during Covid-19 lockdown by Dr. Piya Balani Thakkar. Summary of her webinar recording

2a. How to manage diabetes during Covid-19 lockdown by Dr. Piya Balani Thakkar. Link to the webinar recording

Dementia

1. Dementia Home Care, the COVID-19 infection risk, and Lockdown/ Unlock challenges

This is a good resource to track the impact of the changes due to lockdowns and re-opening of cities and areas and how it impacts dementia care and even elder care. Useful tips for family caregivers of persons with dementia.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

Changed
13/Apr/2021

Stories

  • Navigating The Parallel Trauma of Divorce and Seizures
    A divorce can be very stressful and a life-changing event. Deepa* recounts how emotional stress broke her down, took a serious toll on her health and set off frequent epileptic seizures. Sometimes mental and emotional stress can lead to seizures… epilepsy seizures. I realised this during a dark phase of my life. I had an arranged marriage. Things went on pretty good until engagement. Our first interaction was very smooth and he exhibited flawless attitude and behaviour making me…
  • I Am Absolutely Seizure Free Now
    Yashoda Wakankar, who got freedom from epileptic seizures after 23 years post-neurosurgery, has been successfully running a support group and marriage bureau for persons who have epilepsy for over a decade. I have been living with epilepsy since childhood. I was 7 years old when I got my first epileptic attack. I was unconscious for the whole day. Later, I was diagnosed suffering from left Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. At first I used to have 2–3 attacks a month, but day by day the attacks increased…
  • Diabetes Is Not Always a Lifestyle Disorder
    Abhay*, 29 has been battling Type 1 diabetes to the best of his abilities. He shares his trials and tribulations. Please tell us a bit about your condition I am living with Type 1 diabetes in India. It is basically a condition in which the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin in the body which results in rise in blood sugar. The blood sugar range for a normal person is 87-140 mg/dl, but in a diabetic patient the blood sugar numbers can go way beyond the range. It is very important for a…
  • "I Will Not Die From Cancer"
    Rashmi Sachade, 56 from Mumbai, who was diagnosed with GIST or Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour 15 years ago treats cancer like a paying guest and depends on faith and laughter to see her through her cancer journey. It was 2004, I noticed that my stomach had started bloating and when I would be lying down to sleep, it would feel real tight especially on one side. I had no other health complaints at that time besides a distended abdomen so much so that people starting asking if I was…
  • Do Patients Want To Know Their Cancer Diagnosis?
    In India, especially in field of cancer care, family caregivers often ask the doctors to not tell the patients the diagnosis, the staging and the expected time for survival.But does the patient not have a right to know? And would the patient want to know? A recent study by Ghoshal A., Salins N. investigated just this question. Dr. Naveen Salins talks to PatientsEngage on the study.   Do cancer patients want to know everything about their disease process? Contrary to the norms in…
  • Good Treatment For Breast Cancer Is Also Available In Tier 2 Cities
    Dr Anand Mishra, Professor and Head of Department of Endocrine Surgery, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, organised a ramp walk for breast cancer survivors including men with breast cancer, to focus awareness on early detection and treatment of breast cancer. He shares his views on how he went about it as also his future plans. Please share with us your journey with breast cancer patients. I am working with breast cancer since my early days of a trainee senior resident doctor…
  • Cancer patient feeling distressed and covering face
    Risk Of Suicide In Cancer Patients
    We often tell cancer patients to be positive. But they go through a lot of psychological emotions including suicide ideation. It is also important that we are aware of the high rate of suicide among cancer patients. Psycho-oncologist Bincy Mathew sheds light on the signs of suicide and what caregivers and healthcare professionals can do. According to a SEER database analysis, the suicide rate among the cancer population was found to be 60% higher than the general population or with any other…
  • Cancer Screening Guidelines For Indian Women
    Screening for Cancer is a crucial part of Cancer Prevention and Control for women. In the second part of this guide on screening, Dr Gauravi Mishra  focusses on the screening strategies for women related cancers like Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer.  Can you explain the difference between the various screening tools used for Breast cancer i.e. ultrasound vs BSE vs mammography vs thermography? Breast Self-Examination BSEs first started 1930s; gained more recognition in 1950s-1960s…
  • A gloved hand holding a test indicating PSA test
    Cancer Screening Guidelines in An Indian Context
    Screening for Cancer is a crucial part of Cancer Prevention and Control. Yet, screening is not integrated into our routine medical health care for our mass population. Dr Gauravi Mishra, of the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai provides us with her expert guidance on advances and modifications in screening strategies for India including Genome Tests and Liquid Biopsy. And specific focus on Prostate Cancer. There have been recent changes in cancer screening. What are the current guidelines for…
  • Healthy Chicken and Vegetable Salad
    A high protein, easy to make dish that can be eaten with chapati or roti as a full meal. Good for people who have diabetes. Contributed by Diabetes Awareness and You. The image used above may not represent the actual recipe Serves: 1 Ingredients  • Chicken – 25 g (in shredded form) • Onion-20g • Boiled carrot- 20g • Boiled french beans-20g • Boiled Corn-10g • Salt-1/2 teaspoon • Black pepper-1 teaspoon • Veg Diet Mayonnaise- 10 g • Coriander- For garnishing • Roasted spice powder- 1/2…