Helpful Tips for a Patient Receiving a Chemotherapy Infusion...Receiving chemotherapy can be a frightening experience. Even as a nurse with many years of clinical practice, I really did not know what to expect. I thought it might be...reactions2comments
Keep Your Friends Close and Your Cancer Friends Closer...This journey has been so eye-opening to me in more ways than I can count. I've learned a lot about myself, but also a lot about the people around me...reactions17comments
Introducing Our New Accessibility Feature...You may have noticed that we added a new accessibility feature to our website. This feature will allow community members to change the size, color, or contrast of the text...reactions1comment
What’s the Difference Between Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma?...There are three main types of blood cancers: lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma. Roughly half of the blood cancers diagnosed each year are lymphomas. Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer...reactions9comments
Worrying About Results for the First Time...For the first time in over 11 years, I worried about blood test results, which was a strange place to be. I’m normally completely trusting that all will be ok or...reactions1comment
AML: The Year in This Crazy Life...My name is Becky, and I was this healthy invincible woman who just by chance went to my primary physician one year ago. Feeling good, I just happened to mention...reactions3comments
Any Projects for the Spring?...Are there any home projects to take your mind off blood cancer that you may have in the works this Spring? I'm thinking of replacing a kitchen faucet and fixing...reactions4replies
Overload...My long-term memory is still pretty decent (I think). I can still solve a quadratic equation using formulas I learned almost 50 years ago in algebra class, and sing the...reactions2comments
Thinking Like a Child: A Strategy for Dealing with Adversity...A few years ago, I found myself dealing with the adversity of cancer. I was feeling totally exhausted after chemotherapy and was expected to return to my full-time teaching position...reactionscomments
AML on My Radar for More Than 15 Years...Back in my newspaper days, when telling someone what beat I covered, I would say something like, “I have arts and entertainment.” I also had the mental health beat, so...reactions2comments
Is there something you are grateful for in regards to your cancer diagnosis?...I sometimes sit back and ponder the wonderful things that having cancer has brought me. Like this amazing community, new friendships, outlooks, etc. What about you?...reactions12repliesCoping
By the Numbers...Growing up I always liked numbers. In high school, I’d get bored and watch the clock and on a sheet of paper on my desk I’d keep track of how...reactions6comments
The Big Climb...If you’ve read my past posts you’ve seen me mention The Big Climb where we trudge up the stairs of the tallest building in Washington State to raise money for...reactions5comments
My Three Day Rule...A few days ago, my son sent me a text at 2:00am. He’s in college, and I know he’s been busy with a bunch of projects that he’s working hard...reactions5comments
Learning to Appreciate Life with All its Ups and Downs...Some days this diagnosis feels like I am sitting on death row, waiting for execution day to arrive. Every time I start a new treatment, it is as if yet...reactions6comments
Bittersweet: My Daughter's Coming Home...What do you do when your adult daughter tells you she has cancer? Right away you go into ‘mommy’ mode. At least that’s what I did. I didn’t want her...reactions3comments
Bone Marrow Transplant Result Anxiety...I am 20 months post bone marrow transplant for AML. My last visit at the end of January showed all positive results. I return to the doctor at the beginning...reactions4comments
The Relief of a Phone Call...Out of the blue in 2007 around 6 months after my diagnosis and being taken off Imatinib and waiting to go onto Dasatinib, I had IVF treatment to store my...reactions1comment
Fighting and Giving Into Fatigue...I’m not good at being tired. As I write this, I’m struggling to stay awake. I have things to do and stories to write, but I can do these things...reactions12comments