Advocating for a family member or close friend who is experiencing cancer symptoms can be complicated. Especially, when the symptoms are crazy, erratic, and don’t seem to have a common thread. My dad for example, completely lost his hearing and was totally blind in one eye, as a result of a weird syndrome (Paraneoplastic syndrome) that…
When my dad was diagnosed with Lung Cancer, I already had an insane life. One minute everything was normal, and the next minute I was running head first into an explosion of tests, treatments, and never ending appointments. How does anyone manage all of this? And how does anyone keep on managing their day-to-day life…
I was sitting in the waiting room at Memorial Sloan Kettering when my eyes landed on a woman waiting to be called in. She looked anxious and scared and I don’t think she actually “saw” anything in that room. You could practically see the terrifying thoughts running through her head. When they called her name…
I know how difficult it can be to find the time to take care of yourself. And while this is not the most comfortable topic to discuss, a colonoscopy is so important to maintaining your overall health and preventing serious illnesses. Here’s what happened to us. When my grandmother was 87 they found a…
If you have no idea where to start looking for the perfect Christmas gifts for cancer patients, we’ve compliled them all right here… When my dad was first diagnosed with Lung Cancer, I spent a lot of time searching for Christmas gifts for cancer patients that would keep him resilient and encouraged. I swear, it…
This is a guest post for Mesothelioma caregivers by Devin Golden from the Mesothelioma Guide. Much of the attention associated with mesothelioma goes to the person who has this rare and aggressive cancer. The patient is the object of many questions and discussions, ranging from prognosis and treatment to finances and legal options. While the victims…
When my dad was first diagnosed with Lung Cancer, we had all of his scans and medical records compiled on a disk for our intake appointment with Memorial Sloan Kettering. The night before the appointment we spent hours searching everywhere for that disk. The house, the car, bags, and purses… We couldn’t find that disk…
Can you imagine, going through something as terrifying as cancer hearing loss? And not being able to hear anything? When my dad was diagnosed with Lung Cancer he was also diagnosed with a rare syndrome that caused him to become hard of hearing and then lose his hearing altogether. Suddenly our cancer situation became MUCH…
Finding financial resources for cancer patients is one of the more difficult parts of a diagnosis. Forget the fact that cancer drains you mentally and physically, but it can drain you financially as well. One minute everything is fine and the next minute you are thrust into a whole new world of cancer, treatment, medicine,…
Cancer is a terrifying diagnosis. Even when everything is going to be fine, it doesn’t feel like that in the beginning. Finding a cancer treatment center is the first order of business. How do you even begin tackling this? Where do you start? There are no easy answers. Every situation and scenario is different and…