New therapy dog helps during oncology treatments

New therapy dog helps during oncology treatments

  • By IAN FOLEY
  • Tuesday, March 3, 2015 11:14pm
  • News

At Peninsula Radiation Oncology in Soldotna, a new therapy is available to help patients cope with cancer treatment.

Her name is LC, a 12-year-old English Setter.

As a certified therapy dog, LC is regularly present in the building’s lobby to help patients relax and relieve stress before receiving treatment.

Before becoming certified more than a year ago, LC was the pet of Dr. James Blom, one of the center’s radiation oncologists. Now, she is part of the treatment center’s family.

“She has been such a joy, and such a blessing for each and every patient,” said Jennifer Bostelman, Peninsula Radiation Oncology front office coordinator.

Bostelman said that LC has made a big difference in patients’ lives. One example of LC’s calming influence she cited was when a patient had extremely high blood pressure and couldn’t be treated without first calming down. Bostelman said the patient opted to sit in the lobby and pet LC instead of treating her blood pressure at the hospital.

“It wasn’t 20 or 30 minutes later she went back in [the treatment room] and took her blood pressure and she was perfectly fine, and she was able to get treated,” Bostelman said.

Bostelman said similar stories are not uncommon at Peninsula Radiation Oncology.

Soldotna isn’t the only place where therapy dogs are used. They are becoming common at hospitals throughout the nation including the Mayo Clinic, and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

According to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which has been using therapy dogs since 2007, canines have many therapeutic benefits including reducing anxiety, providing a comfortable environment, and decreasing the need for pain medicine.

While therapy dogs have proven benefits, people who are uncomfortable around dogs need only notify Peninsula Radiation Oncology and LC can be removed. Peninsula Radiation Oncology also posts signs warning people that a therapy dog is present, however, Bostelman said there has never been any problems with LC.

“She’s just so well behaved,” she said. “As soon as the door opens she’s greeting our patients. She comes over and has a seat with them, and they pet her until it’s time to go get their treatment.”

LC has become so popular that patients regularly bring her treats and take her for walks outside the hospital. LC was even given her own business cards.

Bostelman said LC has made a big difference in the lives of patients.

“She has brought so much joy and peace to our patients,” she said. “They’re so grateful.”

 

Reach Ian Foley at Ian.foley@peninsulaclarion.com

Kenai Radiation Oncology Center Office Environmental Portraits

Kenai Radiation Oncology Center Office Environmental Portraits

More in News

Seward City Clerk Kris Peck, right, administers an oath of office to Seward City Council newcomer Casie Warner during a council meeting in Seward, Alaska, on Oct. 28, 2024. (Screenshot courtesy City of Seward)
Seward City Council swears in winners of October municipal election

They were sworn in two weeks after the council certified its election results

Duane Bannock speaks to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough’s tourism industry working group takes shape

The group will explore the effects of a potential bed tax

Assembly Member Peter Ribbens speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Ribbens, Cooper named new heads of borough assembly

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly reorganized during their Oct. 22 meeting

A special weather statement for the western Kenai Peninsula was issued Monday by the National Weather Service. The area will see strong gusty winds and rain late tonight and through Tuesday morning. A winter storm warning remains in effect from 3 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday for areas of the eastern peninsula. (Image via weather.gov)
Windy weather heads for western Kenai Peninsula

The western Kenai Peninsula will experience some windy and wet conditions Tuesday and Wednesday.

Lisa Gabriel, left, watches as beach seine nets are pulled from the waters of Cook Inlet at a test site for the gear near Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Board of Fish to consider set beach seines for east side setnet fishery

Seines were tested on local beaches this summer in effort helmed by Lisa and Brian Gabriel

Sockeye salmon are gathered together at a test site for selective harvest setnet gear in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Board of Fish to consider expansion of commercial dipnetting fishery

Discussion of expanded time, days and season of commercial dipnet fishery scheduled for March

The Alaska Board of Fisheries hears public testimony at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Feb. 18, 1999. (M. Scott Moon/Peninsula Clarion file)
Board of Fisheries again declines to hold Upper Cook Inlet meeting on Kenai Peninsula

The State Board of Fisheries this week rejected calls from the Kenai… Continue reading

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski takes a selfie with Rose Burke at the Kenai Municipal Airport in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. Burke won the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree essay contest and will travel to Washington, D.C., in December to light the tree. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Connections student to light U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree

Rose Burke, 9, won the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree essay contest and will travel to Washington D.C.

Most Read