Leaving the BubbleOn day +25, I was finally able to leave the hospital. Released. Free to sleep in my own bed, spending only days at the cancer center’s various clinics. As overjoyed...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Sunshine...It’s the Little Things That Make the Biggest DifferenceI am a sun baby. I am a lizard. I take time to warm up. I love the sun. The heat. It makes me happy. I function so much better in...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Strategies to Reduce Mental CloudingChemo brain commonly involves cognitive changes including a reduction in short term memory, speed of information processing, and a limited ability to organize information. During my chemotherapy, I had noticed...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Travel AnxietyI didn’t realise I could get anxious, or that travel anxiety would become a part of my life. But it did. And I only realised it a couple of years...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
The Beginning of My Acute Myeloid LifeI was your everyday high school student before being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2003. Going into my junior year at 15 years old, I spent the summer months...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
After Diagnosis, Choosing a Treatment CenterWhen I learned I had leukemia, my first thought was to be treated close to home at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. The local hematologist who diagnosed me said...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
If Possible, Keep MovingPrior to being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, I commuted to work by bike every day. It was a ten-mile ride each way. Where I live is flat, so it wasn’t...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
When Going to the Hospital, Consider Bringing a LampIf you were going to be in a room for a good period of time, you would want something more welcoming than a harsh overhead light and bare walls. In...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Hello My Name Is SurvivorSeveral years ago, I attended a "Blood Cancer Day" co-sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the University of Pennsylvania. Survivorship was the topic of the keynote address. I...Reactions0reactionsComments6 comments
How to Tell a Loved One That You Have CancerHaving a cancer diagnosis can be an overwhelming and fearful experience. I remember not wanting to talk about it to anyone. My husband was given strict orders to tell no...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
The Words We UseEvery year, National Cancer Survivors Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in June. I’ve been celebrating it for 10 years now, since I was first diagnosed with follicular lymphoma...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Psychosocial Considerations for Children with CancerA diagnosis of cancer carries a psychosocial and physical impact for anyone, and for the youngest patients, there are added considerations. Because they are in the midst of development, children...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Chutes and LaddersTwo months before my stem cell transplant, I happened upon some medical students' posters in one of the many lobbies in MD Anderson. My mom and I were obviously very...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Making the Most of Your Oncology VisitIt is normal to be anxious, fearful, and angry when a cancer diagnosis is suspected. I can remember how scared I felt even as an experienced RN. I truly had...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Carve4Cancer Winter Hat Giveaway Terms and ConditionsOfficial Rules, Terms and Conditions for the Carve4Cancer Winter Hat Giveaway NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Take the Clinical Trial Patient Experience Survey!Have you participated in a clinical trial? We want to hear more about your experience! We are conducting a short survey to understand how patients are involved in the clinical...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Chronic Fatigue – My Invisible "Friend"I have someone, or rather something, with me at all times. It’s there when I wake up and when I lie in bed gearing up to get up. It’s there...Reactions0reactionsComments31 comments
On Being a Cancer Survivor and NurseSomeone once asked me what it was like to be an RN who has cancer. It made me think about the unique process of being both the patient and a...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Expect the UnexpectedWhen I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2011, I had never heard of this cancer and although I had been sick for a few months leading up to my...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Finding Out at 25I’m not sure I still understand how drastic and life-changing finding out I had blood cancer was when I was 25 years old. Well, wait, actually it took 2 months...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments