Five Free Stress RelieversA cancer diagnosis brings with it a lot of stress. If we let it, the fear and worry can take a very real toll on our health, just when we...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
How Long Will My Treatment Last?Among of the first things a newly diagnosed lung cancer patient wants to know is how long his or her treatment is supposed to last. This is a very legitimate...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Death and the Cancer PatientDeath is certainly one of the more intrinsic parts of life, so one might question why it is so rarely a part of our common dialogue. As cancer patients, we...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Musings from the Chemo ChairIt is Monday. Every other Monday finds me sitting in the chemo chair. Today is that day. When you walk into my clinic, you are greeted by this huge Chihuly...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
How a Sore Elbow Led to My Diagnosis with Stage IV Lung CancerIn early 2013, I bought myself an iPad and got seriously addicted to playing Candy Crush. After a few months of furious swiping at those candies, I noticed that my...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
OvercomerDo you love music? Has music played a major (or even not-so-major) part in your cancer experience? I am really not a music aficionado. I never could carry a tune...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
The Importance of Our StoriesThree years ago, when I began blogging about my lung cancer treatment, I was not sure whether I was writing for myself or for others. I had conceived of the...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Patient Advocacy Needs Many Kinds of TalentI got involved in patient advocacy about a year after my lung cancer diagnosis. By that point, I'd been through one series of chemotherapy, a maintenance therapy, and was in...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Tips for Dealing With Dryness in the Eyes, Nose, and MouthFor some patients, dryness affects not just the skin, but also the eyes, nose, and mouth. Cracked, chapped lips are commonplace, as are bloody noses and bloodshot eyes. Each of...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
What Is Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia?Chemotherapy treatments aim to kill cancer cells in the body. These medications target fast-growing cells in the body and destroy them. While some of the fast-growing cells being killed by...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Diagnosis Shock and Jumping to ConclusionsLung cancer patients and caregivers alike will relate to the trauma of that initial diagnosis. Being told that you have lung cancer is very difficult news to receive, even when...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Lung Cancer and FitnessJust because you have lung cancer and are in treatment, that doesn't exempt you from exercising. In fact, exercise may just be the thing that can make you feel better...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Here We Go...Year 5The magic number, or so they say. I'm not really sure who "they" are but I'm guessing experts. In the beginning, upon receiving this devastating news, I was a non-stop...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Dealing With Nerve Pain, A Personal PerspectiveCancer patients have a wide variety of potential nerve issues. Some are caused by treatment, others directly by the cancer itself, and perhaps yet more are the result of ancillary...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Seasonal Affective DisorderThe winter months can bring plenty of things we enjoy: hot cocoa, fuzzy slippers, lots of cookies, and time with family and friends. But it can also bring some things...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
All You Need to Get Lung Cancer is LungsDid you know that statistics show that if lung cancer in non-smokers were in its own category, it would rank in the top 10 FATAL cancers in the United States?...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Do I Need a Living Will?“I would never agree to a feeding tube,” says one person. “Whatever happens, do NOT pull the plug on me,” says another. These are the types of very personal decisions...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
At Least the Hair I'm Losing Is (Mostly) GreyAfter nearly three years of chemotherapy for my stage IV lung cancer, I still had a full head of hair. I'm not so certain that it is going to survive...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The Chemo Brain Struggle ContinuesI have been on chemotherapy for two years and then immunotherapy for the next two years (still on immunotherapy). BOTH list cognitive issues as side effects and I am here...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Love and LossAs lung cancer survivors, we join social media groups for more information and support. Our social media friends become "family." We have a love for them like no other. We...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments