The Princess of Wales told the world via Instagram, “It is a relief to now be in remission, and I remain focused on recovery.” In her first major public statement since Kensington Palace released a video last fall, the Princess talked about completing cancer treatment.
Read moreHealthy Survivorship While Also Caring for a Loved One
My most recent diagnosis opened my eyes to the need for resources offering guidance and support for patients who are also caregivers. Shockingly, my Googling various combinations of search words yielded only one hit! A blog post. That prompted me to explore the topic and then write a piece for healthcare professionals that I excerpted and edited for brevity for this post.
Read moreWhy Realistic Hopes are Healing
You could argue that false hope makes patients feel good and stirs the same placebo effect as realistic hope. Those are both healing benefits. Why my insistence that Healthy Survivors nourish realistic hope?
Read moreWeb-based App May Help Improve Survival
What if an app could help improve (1) patients' survival, (2) patients' quality of life and (3) the cost effectiveness of cancer care?
Read moreThe Difficulty of Reporting Minor Symptoms--Part III
Recent posts outlined some of the many reasons patients may experience conflict and distress when deciding whether to call about minor symptoms. What's a Healthy Survivor to do?
Read moreThe Difficulty of Reporting Minor Symptoms -- Part II
What's challenging about reporting minor symptoms? They're less frightening. Shouldn't they be easier to report? Like many long-term survivors (LTS), I've felt torn between...
Read moreThe Difficulty of Reporting Minor Symptoms
After someone has been through cancer treatment and recovery, a new mild symptom is no big deal, right? Well, maybe. In the next few posts, we'll explore the difficulty of reporting minor symptoms in long-term survivors (LTS) who want to be Healthy Survivors.
Read moreA Purple Card for Papa
In "The Healing Power of a Selfie" I shared an essay by Melanie Di Stante. She also wrote a children's book for families dealing with cancer.
Read moreAccepting Uncertainty
"Doctor, will my illness return?" If the answer is "maybe," the uncertainty can cause suffering in patients who are doing well now. Since you can't live as fully as possible (the second criteria of Healthy Survivorship) if you are overly anxious, let's talk about how to accept the uncertainty, both intellectually and emotionally.
Read moreDisease and Uncertainty
n "When Do You Give Up on Treating a Child" Esther Levy concludes, "'There are only two states after such a diagnosis: disease and uncertainty." Both sound terrible.
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