Caregiving For Loved Ones
- Michael Lohan, the father of actress Lindsay Logan, supported his son 11-year-old Landon in the hospital after a recent, and scary, skateboarding accident, something which left him sympathizing for other parents caring for their children without help.
- As a parent, it’s crucial to pay close attention to your child’s health and immediately take them to see a medical professional if you feel something isn’t right, whether it be after an accident or something abnormal going on with one’s body.
- Assuming the role of a caregiver when a spouse, parent, sibling, child, or friend is diagnosed with cancer or another type of medical condition comes with a unique set of responsibilities. The first thing to understand is that there is no shame in asking for help.
- If you are caregiving for someone with cancer or another serious illness, this SurvivorNet guide can help you through.
The incident left Lohan feeling very understanding for any parents coping with a child’s health issue alone, as his 11-year-old son’s broken bones left him feeling an array of emotions.
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He continued, “What a kid! Meanwhile my son Logan was a trooper as well, in tears with me expressing his undying love and concern for his brother. Not leaving his side.
“The scariest part was the sedation and seeing him there in a catatonic state waiting for him to come out of it yet when he did, he turned my tears to a smile saying, “look dad, now I have an arm like Ironman! Like I said, never a dull moment. Just a time to realize how much I truly love my children.”
Lohan concluded, offering support to others like himself who are caring for loved ones, saying, “PS. My heart goes out to the parents that have to face these challenges alone. Like you PS! Love and blessings.”
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We’re happy to see Lohan often talking to social media to show his love for his children.
He even pointed out how while he was with his son Landon in the hospital, they saw one of Lindsay Lohan’s movie’s on the TV,
Lohan captioned the post, showing his daughter in a scene from the 2003 film “Freaky Friday,” “Wouldn’t ya know. While Lindsay shoots the sequel to Freaky Friday in LA, she popped up on Landon’s TV in the hospital.
“He turned to me and said, hey dad, look, Lindsay came to visit!”
Export Resources On Caregiving
- ‘A Sacred and Blessed Calling’ – Managing Life As a Caregiver
- Facing a Cancer Diagnosis as a Single Parent: ‘I Knew I Had to Fight for My Life’
- Caregivers Can’t Provide Optimal Care for Their Loved Ones with Cancer If They Don’t Care for Themselves
- Here Are Top Tips For Cancer Caregivers To Help Them Through The Process
- How to Be a Better Caregiver for Your Loved One
- Patrick Dempsey’s Advice to Cancer Caregivers: Take Care of Yourself, Too
Earlier this something Lohan shared a sweet selfie of him and Lindsay on Instagram, writing, “Happy Birthday to one of my amazing daughters. No matter how tough times may be thinking of them always brings a smile.
“Happy birthday Lindsay I’m so happy for you and proud of you. All my love to you, Bader and Luai. God’s abundant blessings.”
Lohan’s ex wife Dina gave birth to Lindsay on July 2, 1986. He and Dina also share two son’s Mike and Dakota, as well as another daughter Aliana.
Michael also shares his daughter Ashley, with his ex Kristi Kaufman.
His youngest sons are Landon and Logan, whom he shares with his estranged wife Kate Major.
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Michael Lohan’s Skin Cancer Battle
Earlier this year, Michael Lohan, who rose to fame in the late ’90s along with his daughter, “Mean Girls” star Lindsay Lohan, had a very aggressive skin cancer lesion removed from his hand and talked about the experience with SurvivorNet, explaining how important it is to act fast when something is amiss with your health.
“I just got it out yesterday. They cut from the knuckle of my index finger to my wrist,” he explained about the surgery he underwent. “A week or two ago I noticed something on the top of my hand. I was like, ‘That’s weird.’ It was raised, just looked like a little mole.”
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Lohan says he scratched it and it got even worse. He immediately went to the doctor and got it biopsied. then learned that it was squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer, which forms in squamous cells just beneath the skin’s outer surface, typically indicated by hard, red bumps or scaling flat lesions.
What You Need to Know About Squamous Cell Carcinoma
This type of cancer can also present as an ulcer or induration that bleeds. And while SCC often grows slowly, it’s more likely to spread to other tissues and organs, so it cannot be taken lightly.
“Even within a couple days, it got really bad.” Lohan told us, explaining he got a call back two days ago from the doctor’s office. “We need you to come in tomorrow morning,” the doctor told Lohan, explaining that “it looks like the margins are getting really deep, and this has roots to it and it’s aggressive, so let’s get it out before it gets into you bloodstream.”
He explained further, “What people don’t realize is skin cancer is lethal, it’s deadly. We really have to be careful. I never realized the effects of sunlight and being in the sun and not using sunscreen.
“I talked to my kids about this — we all want a tan, and no one wants to put on sunblock all the time. I used to use baby oil,” he said. “Remember Bain de Soleil? I used to live in that stuff. I drowned myself in it,” the father of six shares of the popular brand he used during his more carefree tanning days.
“I’ve been going through this for a while,” Lohan continues. “I’ve had suspicious lesions on my hands, on my forehead, on the top of my head, on my leg — but they were all benign. Then I got one on my arm a couple months ago and it turned out to be aggressive squamous cell carcinoma. They went and did a biopsy, didn’t get enough, so they had to do a Mohs surgery [precise method for removing high-risk skin cancer] and they were able to get everything.”
RELATED: Mohs Surgery Removes Skin Cancer With Smaller Incisions and More Certainty
Caring for a Child
When a child has a health issue, or is diagnosed cancer, it can feel extremely overwhelming trying to ensure they’re getting the best possible care. However, there are many resources out there to turn to if you are caring for a child with cancer.
If you’re wondering what you can do to ensure your child is getting the best treatment possible, consider the following recommendations from the National Cancer Institute.
- “Build strong partnerships” Communicate openly and honestly with your child’s care team. You want to build a solid relationship with the people treating your child so you feel confident asking any questions and discussing your child’s treatment path.
- “Take advantage of the many specialists who can help your child” There are many people who can help you and your child after the diagnosis arrives. Don’t hesitate to ask for specialists to help you and your child learn about their disease, understand how it will be treated and cope with difficult emotions.
- “If you get information online, make sure the source is credible” Doing your own research is a great way to advocate for your child, but it’s important you’re looking at reliable sources such as (but not limited to) the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, National Comprehensive Cancer Network and American Society of Clinical Oncology, among others. Talk to doctors about what you’re finding and don’t hesitate to get multiple opinions regarding your child’s treatment path.
- “Make sure you understand what your child’s health care team tells you” You need to ask for clarification if something about your child’s diagnosis or treatment is confusing.
- “Keep your child’s pediatrician updated” Make sure your child’s cancer care team is sending updates to their regular pediatrician.
The primary thing to understand in caregiving is that there is no shame in seeking help during a difficult time. This can be an overwhelming experience for both patients and their caregivers, too.
Through interviews with expert oncologists, social workers, patient advocates, and more, SurvivorNet has come up with a checklist of helpful steps cancer caregivers can follow throughout the journey.
Dr. Jayanthi Lea With Guidance For New Cancer Caregivers
Support Matters
Having a strong community around you ideal when challenged by health struggles, especially for children.
Dealing with cancer or any sort of health battle for that matter can be overwhelming, so having physical and emotional support is crucial. That being said, it’s very important to know your limits on what you can handle as you undergo treatment and recover from your cancer, and that includes relationships.
“Going through [cancer] treatment is a very vulnerable and emotionally exhausting experience,” licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin wrote in a column for SurvivorNet.
“Noticing what you have strength for and what is feeling like too much, [is] extremely important to pay attention to as you navigate treatment.”
Dr. Strongin does note, however, that having people by your side during this “arduous chapter” of your life can be hugely beneficial.
“Studies have found consistently that loneliness is a significant risk factor for physical and mental illnesses and the trajectory of recovery,” she wrote. “Therefore, it will be important that you surround yourself with individuals who care and support you throughout your treatment.”
In a previous chat with SurvivorNet, psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik added that some cancer warriors may need to look beyond their existing relationships to find the support they need.
“Some people don’t need to go outside of their family and friends circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” Dr. Plutchik said. “But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it is important to reach out to a mental health professional.”
Seeking Support: Dr. Plutchik Shares The First 3 Things To Do After a Cancer Diagnosis
Dr. Plutchik said it’s best to find a mental health professional with experience aiding people undergoing cancer treatment.
“Make sure that the mental health professional that you work it is reaching out, with your consent, to the rest of your team, to the oncologist, to the surgeon,” she said. “It can also be helpful to reach out to family, friends, and any other caretakers that may be involved in the person’s treatment.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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