The Good That Emerges
A friend with cancer wrote me to say how she now experiences moments of intense appreciation. Just walking her dog at Buttermilk State Park filled her with tears. Not tears […]
New Nurses and Cancer Patients
Most everyone is uncertain and tentative when first talking with people who are in treatment for cancer. What should you say? What should you not say? This is just as […]
Does Cancer Hurt?
When I talk with groups of students, someone usually asks, “Does cancer hurt?” It’s an interesting question that can be answered on many different levels. Most cancers don’t hurt at […]
Personality And Cancer
Clients often tell me the weird things that people say in response to their cancer diagnoses. Most often, these comments are well-intentioned, but awkward. One comment recently shared with me, […]
Working In The Cancer World
I often talk with people while they’re receiving chemotherapy. Recently, one woman asked, “How long have you been doing this?” I knew that she was talking about my work at […]
Cancer With Grace
Grace is one of those qualities that we struggle to define, but recognize when we see it. People with grace always seem to do and say the right thing, and […]
My Cancer Experience
I’ve been writing this column for nearly five years and I often make passing reference to my personal experience with cancer. Today, I wanted to share my story more fully. […]
Survivor’s Guilt
People going through cancer treatment at the same time often form their own peer group. They see each other in chemo, in radiation, and in various support groups. The fortunate […]
What To Say When Cancer Returns
I recently gave a talk at a conference of radiation therapists about how to support patients undergoing cancer treatment. One attendee said, “I know how to help patients when they […]
Donating Blood and Organs
For many people the months following cancer treatment are more difficult than the treatment itself. During treatment, your “job” is to be in treatment. You’re busy with appointments and you […]
