Pituitary Family Resource Center

When a family member is diagnosed with a pituitary disorder such as Acromegaly the family system will be affected. No one lives in isolation, the people in this persons life will need to make adjustments. In order for the family to remain intact and interconnected there are some steps each member can take to ensure that their relationship stays strong and positive.

One of the most important things a family member can do is to educate themselves about the disorder with which their loved on has been diagnosed. We all know some of the effects of paralysis, or cancer, but the pituitary creates a set of symptoms understood by very few. If a family member truly wants to help, they need to find a way to try to understand.

To better serve patients the PNA, along with guidance and generous support from a PNA Member has developed a place for families to get information to help them understand the daily struggles that pituitary patients face. While these struggles are not evident on the outside, what these patients go through is real and can be very debilitating.

PNA Webinar: Pituitary Disorders and The Family
Presented by Dr. Jamie Banker, PhD

Mental Health Resources

American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
www.aamft.org

American Psychological Association
www.apa.org

Health Resources and Services Administration
www.hrsa.gov

Other Useful Resources

US Disability and Endocrine Disorders

The Impact of Pituitary Disease on The Family Caregiver and Overall Family Functioning

Michael A. Weitzner1
Robert Knutzen2

1H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and
2Pituitary Tumor Network Association,
Tampa, Fla., USA

Abstract

Chronic medical illness not only affects the patient but the entire family. The family system undergoes a tremendous change in focus during the acute illness, with members marshaling their resources to help the ill member. This inward focus is costly, producing profound stress. Often, family communication styles change to protect the family system and prior functioning. When the stress of caring for an ill member becomes chronic, as is seen in pituitary disease; the initially adaptive changes in family functioning may become problematic even in those families with previously healthy coping. Those families with previously less healthy functioning become even more dysfunctional. Each family identifies a caregiver for their ill member. This caregiver also experiences significant stress related to caregiving demands. Caregiver adaptation to the stress depends on how the stress is perceived, as well as the caregiver’s coping patterns and availability of and satisfaction with social support. These elements comprise a stress process model of caregiving, which has been well-validated in dementia caregiving research. Although the majority of research has focused on dementia and cancer caregiving, identified issues have applicability to caregiving and family issues related to pituitary disease. This report will review:

Available Now!

The Pituitary Patient Resource Guide Sixth Edition is now available! Be one of the first to have the most up-to-date information. The Pituitary Patient Resource Guide a one of a kind publication intended as an invaluable source of information not only for patients but also their families, physicians, and all health care providers. It contains information on symptoms, proper testing, how to get a diagnosis, and the treatment options that are available. It also includes Pituitary Network Association’s patient resource listings for expert medical care.

Buy Now

PNA Gratefully Acknowledges our Supporters

Continuing Education Program

If you are a nurse or medical professional, register for PNA CEU Membership and  earn CEU credits to learn about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options for patients with pituitary disorders. Help PNA reduce the time it takes for patients to get an accurate diagnosis.

Register Now!

For more information click here!

Coming Events

Xeris Recorlev

Pituitary Patient Tool Kit

Check out our new educational tools!

Downloadable Pituitary Brochures

Our print quality brochures are now available for download.