Look Who it Was Random video

It’s All Personal in Palliative Care

548 views · Published 14 December 2014 · 2:10 · Indexed 27 October 2026

Channel: Lee Health · 2014 · Science & Technology

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“I was stage 3,” says Jennifer Santerre.

And facing the fight of her life. Jennifer Santerre made it through a grueling trifecta of treatment for breast cancer: surgery, radiation and chemo. She thought the worst was behind her. But she was wrong.

“I didn’t realize until later on my diagnosis had done so much bone degeneration and nerve damage. And so I had all this extra pain,” says Santerre. 

That’s when Jennifer was introduced to palliative care.

“Honestly, the first thing I did was go to the dictionary an look it up,” says Santerre.

“It’s really about putting the patient in the center,” says Dr. Colleen Tallen, who is a palliative care specialist for Lee Memorial Health System. 

A rapidly growing arm of medicine, palliative care focuses on the patient instead of their illness. 

“Looking at their spiritual, their emotional, their financial situation. So our team has experts in all of those areas,” says Dr. Tallen. 

Many times, seriously ill patients find they’re living in a new reality: one that doesn’t fit as well. Having a personal team connects them to the resources they need to make a smoother transition. 

“I had five, five caretakers sit down with me and do an intake. A dietitian, a pharmacist, all sitting there listening to my story and going through my personal needs. And that was amazing to me-I said I have a group of people who are here for me,” says Santerre. 

Jennifer got help with pain management and treatment for lymphedema, a swelling caused by lymph node removal. While specialized health care is successful in healing, it can be uncomfortable.

“We’re doing really well in medicine, keeping people alive and thriving. Whether it be things like heart failure or lung disease like COPD. People are surviving after cancer. But then you go home and you realize so many things are different,” says Dr. Tallen.  

Whether it’s physical, financial or emotional, the palliative care team takes it personally. 

View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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