3-time skull base tumor survivor: ‘I wish I’d started treatment at UT MD Anderson’
My first experience with cancer was in December 2007, when I received an olfactory neuroblastoma diagnosis after noticing a blockage in my nose. I was treated successfully for it near my home in Kansas with a combination of surgery and chemoradiation.
Eleven years later, I developed a secondary cancer in that same area called radiation-associated osteosarcoma. This time, the cancer was in the bones around my left eye and sinuses...
How to cope with cold sensitivity due to chemotherapy
Platinum-based chemotherapy drugs — including cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin — are well-known for causing nerve damage in the hands...
Cancer treatment side effect: Muscle cramps
If you’ve ever had a charley horse — or a severe sudden spasm in your calf — you know that muscle cramps are no joke.
But...
5 things to expect after finishing chemotherapy
If you’re receiving chemotherapy as a part of your cancer treatment, you’ve probably already figured out ways to make it a little more manageable.
Maybe you carry around peppermints to stave off nausea or bring warm socks to stay comfortable in chilly waiting rooms. Or, maybe you take the day off after an infusion to deal with fatigue. Regardless of what you do, you likely know by now what to expect from both your body and...
Peripheral neuropathy: Causes, symptoms and treatments
Many patients receive chemotherapy as part of their cancer treatment plan. These drugs have long shown benefits in extending patients’ lives...
Multiple myeloma survivor and employee: ‘MD Anderson really is the best’
When I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in October 2009, I knew exactly where I wanted to go for my cancer treatment.
Because with...
Pancreatic cancer survivor: Whipple procedure made me cancer-free after ‘inoperable’ tumor
When I was diagnosed with stage III pancreatic cancer in January 2017, I was pretty shocked. Both of my parents died of heart disease in their...
Breast cancer survivor: Take your prescription medications
As a general rule, I don’t take medicine unless I absolutely have to. I’ve never been one to swallow an aspirin at the first sign of a fever...
How I dealt with permanent hair loss and other side effects
When I first lost my hair due to breast cancer treatment, I often heard people say, “Don’t worry. It’s only hair.” The implication was that...
4 common cancer pain management myths
Nearly half of cancer patients experience pain caused by the cancer itself, cancer treatment or factors that aren’t related to cancer. When...