Living

When you are in the throes of chemo, the real heart of cancer and its treatment, it consumes you. Mentally, physically and spiritually, all your energy is focused upon besting...

Back when I was running a lot, I often vowed to work on my neglected upper body strength. That meant recommitting myself to going to exercise classes, doing planks, or...

A cancer patient must be focused on healing and fighting their disease. However, due to spiraling medical expenses, especially drug costs, many cancer patients may worry about paying for expenses...

I once heard of a man who had cancer and was given only a short time to live. His family didn’t talk about it. Even he didn’t know what to...

When people hear that I had four bone marrow transplants, their reactions fall into three categories summarized like so: To back up, a few people have said that my first...

A two-week break from treatment has started!!! Which is beyond amazing. I've needed this. The exhaustion has been beyond bearable. I have been at breaking point. I have been reminded why...

If you would have asked me to tell you about myself a few years ago, I would have probably started with my family. I would have told you stories about my...

A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming for family and others in your life. It may be necessary to actively work to promote supportive relationships at this difficult time. The challenges...

When I was kid, I liked roller coasters. I wasn’t a roller coaster nut but I was a fan. What I didn’t like were the rides that spun you upside...

Well, it hasn’t been a great couple of weeks. After I wrote the post about still feeling good on a double dose, I noticed some things. And they aren’t great. My...

All my life I’ve been an introvert and a loner. Even in high school I didn’t belong to any clicks. I wasn’t a jock, or a nerd, or one of...

Let me share a letter I recently wrote to a cousin who told me he would be happy to help me with an issue I had with my multiple myeloma...

Life as a survivor for most may still include a busy day with the exception of having cancer. There we go with that word, but so many are hung up...

On Jan. 31st, 2009, I had my fourth bone marrow transplant. Do the easy math, and you’ll see that Jan 31st, 2019, marked 10 years from that momentous date. But...

Cancer is such a monumental, life-altering experience that it can be difficult not only to get through it but to return to “normal” afterwards.  Normal.  It’s a word that takes...

A reader pointed out that in my post on going home after transplant, part two, I said I had a bad rash but never said what it was from and...

I recently came across a great hashtag on Twitter: #docsplaining. It comes from the word “mansplaining.” That word has been around for about 10 years now, and is used to...

I feel tired again. My legs hurt. I’ve had to cancel something because I just don’t have the energy for it. I don’t want this to start happening. I was hoping that...

I recently posted a blog on my personal site, titled “Lessons Learned on the Way to Gili T”.  It is in 2 parts and can be found at effcancerblog.com. (Sorry...

The positive effects of practicing gratitude can quickly create a positive mindset and change how your brain works. Researchers found that when we think about someone or something we really...