Leukemia diagnosis brings survivor, daughter closer than ever
Dana MacFarlane may have been the one who received a leukemia diagnosis, but she’s certain every one of her family members suffered just as much during her treatment. Still, she chooses to see the good that’s come out of her journey.
“I’m closer to everyone in my family due to this cancer,” she says.
That’s been especially true for her relationship with her oldest daughter, professional pole vaulter Demi Payne.
“We...
Leukemia survivor finds second chance — and third wife — at MD Anderson
Two-time widower Paul Nielsen was in excellent health at age 67. So the former marathon runner knew something was wrong when he started feeling...
Finding hope in helping others after my wife’s death from synovial sarcoma
My late wife, Melissa, was diagnosed with stage IV synovial sarcoma — a rare type of soft tissue cancer — in January 2016. She died from complications...
Mom, daughter face breast cancer 15 years apart
In the early 2000s, Virginia Plett watched her mother and aunt successfully undergo breast cancer treatment at MD Anderson. So when the Kansas resident received her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2017, she knew exactly where she was going for her treatment.
“My mother wouldn’t have stood for anything else,” jokes Virginia, whose mom Margaret Looper has been a volunteer at MD Anderson in The Woodlands for the past 13 years....
Familial adenomatous polyposis monitoring, Whipple procedure gave my husband more time
When he was 15, my husband Jesse underwent a colectomy, a procedure that removed his colon. Jesse opted to do this after learning that he...
Leukemia treatment teaches survivor how to live in the moment
Dana MacFarlane is still in awe of her sudden onset of acute myeloid leukemia in July 2017.
“I take blood tests on a routine basis...
Radiation therapy advice from survivors who’ve been there
Whether you’ve just been diagnosed with cancer or have completed one treatment and are preparing yourself for the next, the thought of radiation...
Cancer patients and the flu: What you should know
When it comes to contagious diseases like the flu, cancer patients are among those most vulnerable to infection. So, it’s important for cancer...
Stage IV lung cancer survivor: Targeted therapy clinical trial is giving me another chance
Everyone is dealt a card or two in life that will pose their greatest challenges. For me, that card was being diagnosed with stage III lung...
Residency program for oncology research nurses eases transition to second career
Suzanne Phillips enjoyed 26 years working for Dow Chemical Co., much of that time as a researcher in product development. It was a thrill...
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor: A CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial gave me my life back
Before I was on a clinical trial, I felt sorry for patients participating in them. I considered clinical trials a last-ditch effort, and felt...
Kidney cancer caregiver: 4 places to re-charge at MD Anderson
My dad has been a patient at MD Anderson since July 2015, receiving treatment for stage IV renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer....
Breast cancer survivor: How I talked to my kids about cancer
When I was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer in January 2017, my biggest fear was how my kids would be affected.
My husband and...
Being a nurse made me appreciate MD Anderson more
As a registered nurse and a cancer survivor, I have a somewhat unique perspective: I can see things from the point of view of both the patient...
4 reasons I volunteer at MD Anderson
Ten years ago, I completed my first shift as an inpatient volunteer at MD Anderson’s Texas Medical Center Campus. For the past six years I...
5 questions about anesthesia
Anesthesia is used to make you emotionally and physically comfortable during surgery. It can relieve anxiety, block pain and, in some cases...