See other indications for REVLIMID:
This site is intended for US audiences only.
This site is intended for US audiences only.
REVLIMID is a prescription medicine used to treat people with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) when the disease comes back or becomes worse after treatment with two prior medicines, one of which included bortezomib. MCL is a cancer of a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes that are in the lymph nodes.
REVLIMID should not be used to treat people who have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) unless they are participants in a controlled clinical trial. It is not known if REVLIMID is safe and effective in children.
The important role of the caregiver
If you are caring for someone with mantle cell lymphoma, you may have questions about treatment and how to best meet the patient’s needs.
A caregiver is one of the most important members of the treatment team. What you do can have a positive impact on a patient’s treatment. Learn more about how you can help.
Being a caregiver
A caregiver is someone who provides emotional and/or physical support to someone going through an illness. There are different types of caregivers, including:
- spouses
- partners
- family members
- neighbors
- friends
By supporting a friend or family member receiving REVLIMID, you can help him or her through their treatment. Below are some useful tips on being a caregiver.
Providing emotional support
Finding out that mantle cell lymphoma has not responded to treatment or has come back again may be particularly stressful for patients. They might not know how to talk about it, and it may be hard to know exactly what kind of emotional support they need.
- Encouraging them to express their feelings, so you can share this information with the healthcare team
- Being understanding when they can no longer do the things they could do before
- Providing encouragement and being there to listen and show support
- Making sure they know how much they mean to you
- Letting them lead the conversation when talking about their disease
Balancing the patient’s needs with your other responsibilities can be challenging. If you can, make the most of your time with the doctor or nurse by coming to the office prepared.
Things you should bring to the doctor’s office include:
- Contact information for all physicians, specialists, and therapists
- Patient’s insurance information
- List of patient’s allergies
- Notes on how the patient is feeling or changes in how they feel
- Schedule of other appointments
- List of other medicines
- List of any questions you or the patient have
- Stay informed to have more effective conversations about his or her health, and go with him or her to doctor visits, if possible
- Make sure that the patient takes the doctor-recommended dose on schedule as prescribed
- Keep a detailed notebook, planner, or calendar to help you and the person you’re caring for keep track of doctor visits, changes in his or her health, and dosing of medications
- Understand important side effects so you know when to reach out for medical support and how to help the patient
As a caregiver, you are involved in a patient’s medical care, making it important to work together with the treatment team. Some questions you may want to ask about the practice are:
- When is the office open?
- Who would I contact after office hours or if there is an emergency?
- When and how is the best time to contact the office?
- Who can I go to with questions when the doctor is not around?
You may have specific questions for the treatment team at any point in a patient’s treatment. It’s important that you feel confident reaching out when you need information. Some things you might want to learn more about are:
- Details about the patient’s diagnosis
- A change in the patient’s health or condition
- A new symptom
- A new medication or change in medication
- Possible side effects the patient is experiencing
- The results of lab tests
CARING FOR YOURSELF
Caregivers may be so focused on caring for someone else that they sometimes forget about their own needs. It’s important for you and the patient you’re caring for that you take care of yourself, too. Read on for some tips.
Focusing on yourself
Taking care of yourself can make it easier to take care of someone else. It’s important for you to stay healthy and positive so you can do your best job as a caregiver. Here are some things you can do to take care of yourself:
Take breaks to walk outside, watch television, read, or engage in a hobby
Balance your schedule with that of the patient’s by listing the tasks you need to do each day in a planner or calendar
Be open and honest with others about your emotions, and/or join a caregiver support group
To stay healthy, make sure to visit your doctor for routine checkups; be aware of depression or other
Eat a balanced diet, get regular exercise, and get 8 hours of sleep a night
Reaching out to others
Finding out that mantle cell lymphoma has not responded to treatment or has come back again may be particularly stressful for patients. They might not know how to talk about it, and it may be hard to know exactly what kind of emotional support they need.
- Be realistic about what you can do, and learn how to pass on the responsibilities to others if necessary
- Tell people how they can help, as they may not be aware of what caregiving involves
- Work with friends and family to make a plan of what needs to get done
- Let go of tasks that can wait until later because you can always go back to them at another time