THE FINGERPRINT OF CANCER

My wonderful pastor has a saying that I listen to over and over again. He says each of our faith journeys is a fingerprint of that person. No other person has the same experiences, beliefs or goals and is indeed unique. Our shape, the development of who we are, how we feel......

HOW IS REMISSION SIMILAR TO COVID 19?

My cancer journey, like everyone else, has been unique and it seems to get weirder by the day. I received two wonderful pieces of news during the COVID 19 pandemic. The first was that I am in remission again! My blood counts are stable and I feel thrilled, humbled, excited, and scared......

A SIMPLE SCRATCH AND CANCER

Sometimes on the cancer journey, the side effects of treatment are not always the ones you expect. Most of us cancer survivors know the reality of “typical” (for lack of a better word) side effects of cancer and chemo. I am going to lump cancer and chemo together because we often are......

THE TEETER-TOTTER OF BLOOD DRAWS

Most of us never stop to think about how much information one little sample of blood can give us and our physicians. Since the pandemic, it has been a bit strange as I enter the hospital, have my temperature taken, and proceed to the Infusion wing of the hospital for my weekly......

CAN CANCER CAUSE DENTAL PROBLEMS?

I have been hesitant to write a blog on the probable relationship between dental health and cancer, mostly because I found so little research on it. I did, however, find research refuting the myth that root canals cause cancer, which was believed at one time. Some research has been done on the......

DEALING WITH CANCER AND COVID IS SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS

Like the novel coronavirus, cancer is invisible, unrelenting, and always surrounding us. The emotions people all over the world have experienced as a result of COVID-19 have been the same, regardless of race, color or creed. Sadness, depression, uncertainty, insomnia, anxiety, and on and on. Counselors, psychologists, and social workers are busier......

WHAT DO PEOPLE WITH CANCER AND BUMBLEBEES HAVE IN COMMON?

During my long 10-year cancer journey I have had the pleasure of meeting many cancer survivors. Honestly, this is one of the few plusses from having this insidious disease. I have watched people survive unbelievable assaults on their bodies ranging from surgeries, to radiation, to chemo, to bone marrow transplants. Somehow, they keep on going,......

CANCER SURVIVORS, BE LIKE THE BIRDS AND HELP EACH OTHER

I, like most people, enjoy hearing birds sing and watching them fly. My parents had birdfeeders in the yard, and we would watch them all the time. However, I never knew how intelligent they were until I toured a bird sanctuary. The shelter took sick and injured birds from all over the......

A COMPARISON OF AUTUMN AND CANCER

I admit that fall is my favorite time of the year. There is nothing more beautiful than driving or walking on a sunny fall day and marveling at the changes in the leaves. Maybe part of the reason I feel this way is because I am a fall (October), baby. But I......

FOR CANCER SURVIVORS MUCH HAS BEEN GIVEN

With the extra time we have, cancer survivors can make a lasting impact in their communities with others on their cancer journey. “Much has been given us, and much will rightfully be expected from us. We have duties to others and duties to ourselves: and we can shirk neither. “- Teddy Roosevelt.......

WHAT TO DO NEXT AFTER FINDING OUT YOU HAVE CANCER

Every one of us remembers our shock when we were told we had the dreaded C-word. We usually recall with clarity the doctor’s words, the size of the room, and who was with us. We share similar feelings of bewilderment, fear and the huge question—are we going to die? We undergo treatments......

MUSCLE PAIN LINGERS IN PEOPLE WITH CANCER AND IT DOESN’T GO AWAY

A cancer survivor notes how her 16-year-old dog makes it up the steps faster than she does. And although she recognizes she’s getting older, she highlights the side effects of her medications are muscle and joint pain. Now that wonderful and long-awaited COVID-19 vaccines have arrived, some of the side effects have......