A mother describes her distress over her daughters getting tested for a genetic mutation (BRCA) that may predispose them to the same cancer for which she was treated successfully. She knows this is not her fault, yet she feels dreadfully guilty.
Parents going through chemo often struggle to explain their alopecia (hair loss) to their young children. The rhyming verse in Nowhere Hair offers a healing conversation-starter that is both whimsical and profound.
When young parents are dying, they face the loss of everything they know and hold dear. Arguably their greatest pain is losing the chance to raise their child(ren). To help such parents find hope in desperate times, I offer a suggestion:
Lymphoma survivor Jen Singer, journalist and parent, just launched a new website -- parentingwithcancer.com -- to provide guidance and support to moms and dads facing the twin challenges of cancer and kids.
The preceding four posts on grief and acceptance set the stage for a closer look at how patients can be Healthy Survivors at the end-of-life. In other words, how can you both get good care and live as fully as possible after a diagnosis of terminal disease?
On my January 28th post, Lori commented about one's obligations to survivors whose belief in the power of positive thinking precludes their getting effective therapies.
When a parent has late-stage cancer with limited life expectancy, everyone wants to rewrite the expected ending. The doctors and nurses, the parent with cancer, the family's loved ones and especially the children want to make it "all better."
If fairy godmothers existed, cancer survivors with late-stage disease who are rearing children might ask: "Fairy Godmother, can you give my family a vacation from my illness? Please?"
In a piece entitled"The Genes That Bind" (summer issue of CURE magazine), Journalist Charlotte Huff covers the emotionally charged topic of when and how to share information on genetic risk with children.
As soon as I learn something that might help someone else, I want to share it and spare as many people as I can from learning lessons the hard way. Can my advice be too much?
You've survived cancer. Now a friend develops the same type of cancer and is making horrible decisions (in your opinion). She's declining conventional therapies for a treatable cancer or deciding against telling her children she is sick. What's a good friend to do?
Last night I delivered a keynote address -- Happiness in a Storm: Embracing Life. Since it was a local event, I enjoyed the honor of having my daughter, Rebecca, introduce me. How cool is that?
What happens if you have a lovely lamp and a working electrical outlet, but the lamp is not plugged in? Nothing. But put the lamp's plug in the outlet and - voila! - you have beautiful light that helps you see. That's the image that comes to mind whenever I learn about excellent survivorship resources.
