N.H.L. Cancer Vaccine

- January 18, 2009 -

I have been seeing more and more articles in the last months about cancer vaccines Most are not really vaccines in the traditional sense You don’t get a shot when you’re a child and then never develop a particular cancer Rather what most researchers are doing is taking a sample of your specific tumor treating it in the lab to render it unspreadable and also noticeable to your immune system They then put these specialized cells back into your body What this does is help induce an immune response from your own system It’s really quite interesting and long overdue… Read More →

Cancer Makes People Uncomfortable

- January 15, 2009 -

One of the subtleties of having cancer is that people that you meet talk with are terrified of it Have you ever had a scenario along these lines unfold Let's say you're out boating and you meet someone new Within a few moments of meeting them they ask What's the scar on your chest from They are referring to the scar where your surgeon has put your mediport implant for chemo infusion Your mind searches for a way to inform them that you're a cancer patient without making them uncomfortable and seeing the look on their face You try with… Read More →

Waiting...A Personal Hell

- January 10, 2009 -

As I write this I am waiting for CT results from my last round of scans Over the years I think I’ve had every result in the gamut From The scans were clear and you’re cured all the way to I’m worried about your results We really need to get much more aggressive with our treatments But one thing is always the same after each test waiting for the results is Hell on me emotionally I think that the waiting is the hardest part of cancer treatment because you can’t actively engage in fighting the beast anymore You sit and… Read More →

Cancer & Marriage

- January 7, 2009 -

After being diagnosed with cancer many patients revert to a sort of primitive survival mode when it comes to emotions At least this is what I’ve seen in my cancer career times in years It’s like the majority of your feelings are put on hold and the only real thing to surface is fear That and mild panic depending on the patient This internal emotional shutdown can have devastating effects on the cancer patient’s relationships specifically their husband or wife All too many times we hear the phrase we hurt the ones we love the most It’s especially true in… Read More →