Part 4: Why I Walk
Everyone has their own reason. For some, they feel grateful for how far they have come or to remember those they have lost. For others,… Read More »Part 4: Why I Walk
Breast Cancer
Part 3: Bonds that Bring Us Closer
My fellow team member Julie Thomas raised $13,760 this year alone, in her eleventh Avon Walk. Julie’s been raising money for breast cancer for almost… Read More »Part 3: Bonds that Bring Us Closer
Part 2: Walk the Talk
It’s not every day that you commit to walking 40 miles in the heat and rain, but on April 30 of this year, I walked… Read More »Part 2: Walk the Talk
Top Cancer News
This month, in Dr. Bill Nelson's Cancer News Review podcast, you'll hear about cell phone hazards, breast and prostate cancer prevention drugs, and screening for… Read More »Top Cancer News
Why We Walk
Have you ever considered joining a walk/run/swim or other athletic event to benefit a cause that has special meaning to you? I never thought that… Read More »Why We Walk
Cancer Screening Tests Everyone Should Know
Kimmel Cancer experts frequently say that “the best way to cure cancer is to prevent it from ever occurring.” Most experts agree that currently-available cancer… Read More »Cancer Screening Tests Everyone Should Know
Walkers Stay Strong on Day 2
Elissa Bantug, breast cancer survivor and blogger, is walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Washington, D.C. This is Day 2 of updates… Read More »Walkers Stay Strong on Day 2
Walk 40 Miles in My Shoes
This weekend, blogger and breast cancer survivor Elissa Bantug is walking nearly 40 miles in Washington, D.C. at the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. She's there… Read More »Walk 40 Miles in My Shoes
Breast Cancer Patients: Lymph Nodes – Leave Them Alone?
When most people think about breast cancer, they don’t often think about the small, pea-sized structures that dot the body and help fight infections and other foreign substances. But it’s top-of- mind for many patients who undergo surgery for breast cancer.
Lymph nodes are sites for cancer spread, and certain nodes are removed during surgery depending on a number of factors. Data published originally in the Annals of Surgery in September 2010 and today in the Journal of the American Medical Association show that certain nodes in select patients may not need to be removed.
Read More »Breast Cancer Patients: Lymph Nodes – Leave Them Alone?
Fatigue
Five weeks into radiation, I decided that the hair on my legs had become so long that an intervention was necessary. Going somewhere to have my legs waxed was too overwhelming in my current state, and cutting myself while shaving seemed like a small risk, as I’d internalized my doctors’ advice about the compromised nature of my immune system. I enlisted my sister to help; although neither of us had ever done anything like this before, we decided the best thing would be an at-home waxing party…This very quickly became one of those situations where the task at hand seemed like a good idea in principle but turned out to be a very, very bad idea. The wax was either too hot or not hot enough, we put the strips on backwards, and we had only minimal results. Wax went everywhere; we made a huge mess; and ended up in nothing but our t-shirts in fits of hysterical laughter on the kitchen floor. We managed to sort-of passably wax a small piece of my shin before I had to throw in the towel and retreat to my room for a nap.
My fatigue hit an all time low towards the last week of treatment. During this time, I had one burst of energy—a precious state of mind and body that had felt on hiatus for many weeks—and I decided that I needed to go grocery shopping.