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Article Summary

Living Well With Serious Illnesses: Angela’s Palliative Care Story

Angela James has been working since she was 15 and was in the prime of
her life. She has been living with a multitude of autoimmune disorders,
including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and Raynaud's
phenomenon, and was forced to quit her job and lose her house. As her
physical symptoms worsened, so did her emotional symptoms, leading to a
depression. A year ago, Angela found palliative care at Ohio State University,
which provides relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness
and improves the quality of life of both the patient and the family. Angela's
palliative care team took the time to talk to her about what she wanted and
needed in her care, and realized that she needed a full spectrum of support to
live well with her illnesses.

They combined pain and symptom management with emotional and spiritual
support, and offered support to her family as well. Angela is still living with
various illnesses, but is now more involved with her family, is able to socialize
again, and is looking to start volunteering with her nieces' sports teams.
Palliative care has given her her life back, and she is grateful for the support
she has received.

II. Insights/Reflection

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