National Grief Awareness Day: Everyone’s Journey Is Different With Joseph Kalis, PharmD, BCOP; Megan-Claire Chase; Lauren Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC

August 30 is National Grief Awareness Day, a day to recognize the different ways in which individuals experience grief, underscore the physical and emotional effects of grief, and prioritize self-care and healing. In this interview, Editorial Board members Joseph Kalis, Megan-Claire Chase, and Lauren Ghazal reflect on:

Their personal experiences with grief and perspectives as a patient, survivor, family member, friend, caregiver, and practitioner
Unexpected sources of grief, such as anticipatory grief or grieving for your pre-cancer body
The multilayered stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—and how everyone experiences and processes grief differently
The power of support groups and community in processing and coping with grief
And more

“There are multiple facets of grief that can happen, and there are different experiences that all of us have as individuals, as community members, as patients, as practitioners. We’ve all got those layers of identity. At the end of the day, as people, we have to find a way to reconcile all of that and bring it together in some way that allows us to keep moving forward, whatever that looks like for each of us.” – Joseph Kalis, PharmD, BCOP

About the Speakers

Joseph Kalis, PharmD, BCOP, is an Ambulatory Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at the University of Colorado Health. In this position, he educates patients about their chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments, reviews treatment plans and dose adjustments, and assists with supportive care. Dr. Kalis’ professional interests include multiple myeloma and hematologic malignancies. He enjoys teaching learners from all walks of life. Dr. Kalis has spoken extensively for continuing education programs, along with various peer-reviewed papers on oncology and pharmacy.

Lauren Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing and an Associate Member in Cancer Prevention and Control at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Her research focuses on nursing work-related challenges and financial toxicity experienced by adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, incorporating economic, clinical, and personal experiences to address survivorship disparities.

Megan-Claire Chase is a patient advocate and the Breast Cancer Program Director for SHARE Cancer Support. As a survivor of stage IIA invasive lobular breast cancer, Ms. Chase became involved in patient advocacy work after completing her treatment. She is a prolific writer, blogger, and public speaker, having been featured in the New York Times, in People Magazine, and on PBS’s “Beyond Cancer” episode of “Stories from the Stage.” Her story and work are documented in her blog “Life on the Cancer Train.”