“What can I do to help?” That’s a question you’ll hear often when you share the news of a cancer diagnosis. But it’s surprisingly hard to answer when your mind is whirling with shock, anxiety and complex medical data. Right after your diagnosis, all the concern and questions don’t make you feel better—they make you [...]
Rather than writing another straightforward article that deals with complementary therapy this month, I thought it would be constructive to look at it from the practical side—by creating a fictional patient. Hopefully by looking at her and seeing how she integrated complementary therapies into her conventional care, it will give you some ideas as to [...]
We’re talking with Frank McCann—the only director the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic has known in its 19-year history—but there’s another presence in the room, and it is almost palpable. It’s Jim Valvano himself, the former N.C. State men’s basketball coach, famous locally (and among sports enthusiasts) for leading the Wolfpack to a 1983 national [...]
Recently a group of women from a church asked me to come speak to them. One of the members of the group had terminal cancer and it was clear her time was limited. They were all very caring and loving women, that was certain. But they were afraid. Afraid of what was coming, afraid of [...]
What is the most uncertain time you have ever experienced in your life? If you are reading this magazine as a cancer patient, it could very well be that this season of your life is by far the most uncertain. Just about all of us know that we live in uncertain times. From worldwide events [...]
Dear Cancer, You want a fight? You picked the right guy, because I’ll throw hands with you all day long. Anyone who has watched ESPN in the last decade has likely seen Stuart Scott, the ultra-popular on-air personality known for his quick wit and hip catchphrases. He was the perfect choice to be one of [...]
In the wake of a cancer diagnosis, and often for years post-treatment, many cancer survivors throw themselves completely into causes that raise funds and recognition for cancer research. Organizations such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society promote education about early detection and gather critical funding to continue their missions [...]
“My friend said when her mother had cancer she couldn’t eat a thing and lost a lot of weight.” “Someone else said they gained weight. I don’t want that to happen to me!” “I’m stressed out and just don’t feel like eating.” “Nothing tastes good. Ever since I started chemo I have this metallic taste [...]
Anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis knows what a dark and life-changing day that is. And that day is followed by weeks of uncertainty and distress as a cascade of medical appointments fills the calendar and friends and family continually ask what’s going on. Without knowing what’s next and how you’ll feel, the first [...]
“When I was in med school, someone asked why I wanted to be a doctor,” says Dr. Sharon Taylor, who specializes in hematology-oncology at Duke Raleigh Hospital. “And I said, ‘Well, I think I have a lot of compassion.’ And he looked at me … then we just moved on. And it was funny, because [...]
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