ON CANADIANS, THE COLD AND CANCER

I recently returned from a scenic and wonderful cruise to the eastern seaboard of Canada along the St. Lawrence Seaway. I visited several communities. In Canada, they do not call these population centers villages, cities or towns, but communities. Every sign on the road as you drive along says welcome to our......

STILL LIFE AND CANCER- TEACHINGS FROM A MYSTERY NOVEL

A favorite mystery author for many readers is Louise Penny and her featured detective, Armand Gamache. I have several friends and relatives who kept recommending these books. I decided to read the first one in the series when I visited Montreal, where the fictional characters live. It is titled Still Life, and......

A CANCER LESSON FROM A TV SHOW

It is interesting to observe the lessons one can learn from a supposedly recreational television program. I was watching a new series this year called “New Amsterdam.” Surprisingly, the show features a medical director of the hospital who has cancer. He was talking to a Rabbi with cancer faced with what seemed......

CANCER CHANGES EVERYTHING – AND NOTHING

I was watching a television show I have mentioned in some other articles. The show “New Amsterdam” features a medical director of a hospital who has cancer. He talks honestly about his cancer journey. One of the statements he made to a colleague was, “Cancer changes everything – and nothing.” I stared......

INSOMNIA AND CANCER

I am a person who always was able to sleep and would generally be out before my head ever hit the pillow. Now I found myself tossing and turning for hours at a time. I would try reading, but then would just delay my sleep longer. Ironically, the cancer and chemo were......

BEING OFF CHEMO MAY BE TEMPORARY – BUT SO IS LIFE!

Being in remission can be both exhilarating and scary! As many of my readers know, I have a blood type of cancer and thought I would be on chemo without a break for the rest of my life. We all know that putting chemo into our bodies is pouring poison into our......

COPING WITH THE TIDAL WAVE OF CANCER

By Jane Biehl PhD Like many people I was very naïve about how much cancer would change my life. I thought that one got cancer, was treated and afterwards was “cured” and moved on. Of course I knew there were others who passed away from this devastating disease, and have lost dear......

HOPE IS AROUND THE CORNER FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

I was feeling upset and depressed. I had a terribly insensitive oncologist early in my cancer journey who told me that the average length of time for this type of cancer was 104 months. The worst of it is she stated this with same emotion as asking me if I wanted a......

CANCER ‘SURVIVOR’:WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Isn’t everyone a survivor from the time of diagnosis to the end? One reader thinks so. By Jane Biehl PhD I never believed the old adage “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never break me.” I have been terribly hurt by words and have, unfortunately, uttered phrases I......

MAKE THE INTERNET YOUR FRIEND, NOT YOUR FOE!

I receive e-mails and questions from people all over the country because of my website and articles I write for CURE®. There are so many poignant questions and concerns: “What chemo are you on?” “What are the side effects?" “I am scared to death to start chemo after reading about the side effects......

CANCER SURVIVORSHIP AND THE ART OF LETTING GO

I have a daily calendar on my desk with very wise sayings. One that really stood out was by J.C.Watts. “It doesn’t take a lot of strength to hang on. It takes a lot of strength to let go.” I had to think about this for a minute. We have all seen......

WHAT IS REMISSION

My doctor explained I was in what was called “partial remission.”  What does this mean?  Web MD https://www.webmd.com/cancer/remission-what-does-it-mean explains “The cancer is still there, but your tumor has gotten smaller – or in cancers like leukemia, you have less cancer throughout your body.” Complete remission means all your cancer cells are gone......