Cancer: You Have a PR Problem

Posted September 19th, 2018

As an oncology nurse, I find myself holding my breath when I hear the TV talkers announce a celebrity cancer diagnosis. Not so much out of anticipation of the announcement, but waiting for the inevitable misinformation about to be spread. I’d like to post a request for proposals – is there a public relations firm […]

It’s Time to Bring Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) Out of the Shadows

Posted August 21st, 2018

Last week the world lost a music legend, Aretha Franklin. Many news organizations erroneously reported that she had passed away due to complications of pancreatic cancer. While Ms. Franklin was quite private about her health, she had spoken about her diagnosis on occasion. She actually did not have pancreatic cancer, but a neuroendocrine tumor in […]

Carolyn Vachani

See Your Mom/Brother/Son In Every Patient

Posted August 1st, 2018

A friend recently had to have an ultrasound to further examine something found on another test. She’s a nurse, so she knows the drill, but she was shocked at how things transpired during that visit. As she described to me each step and interaction with the radiology physician, I cringed. The way she was “greeted” […]

The Gift of Time in Advanced Cancer

Posted June 26th, 2018

I was watching the news the other day when two stories of tragedy caught my attention. The deaths of two people – one by gun violence, one a car accident – got me thinking about how the lives of these people’s families were changed in an instant. They didn’t have a chance to say good […]

Celebrate Survivors, But Remember It’s Not All Balloons and Confetti

Posted June 3rd, 2018

Every year, on the first Sunday in June, we recognize National Cancer Survivors Day (NCSD). It’s a day to celebrate the strength and resilience of survivors and caregivers and to provide inspiration to those facing a new diagnosis. But this day can be a reminder for many of an experience that changed life as they […]

11 Things to Know About Being a Cancer Survivor

Posted May 1st, 2018

Here at OncoLink, we are celebrating the 11th birthday of our survivorship care plan tool called OncoLife. Survivorship care plans and survivorship care can help people with cancer – and their caregivers – with many challenges. There are over 17 million cancer survivors in the US alone and they face a range of post treatment […]

Why isn’t it ok to die?

Posted April 9th, 2018

A few weeks back the US House of Representatives passed a “Right to Try” Law. In all honesty, I don’t completely understand the need for this when compassionate use already exists, but that is a topic for another day. The discussions and news stories I heard surrounding this law got me contemplating, why isn’t it […]

Don’t throw that out! How can we reduce food waste at home?

Posted March 19th, 2018

March is National Nutrition Month, an annual educational campaign by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year’s campaign is titled “Go Further with Food.” The campaign brings attention to food waste and how we, as consumers, can reduce our own food waste. I was surprised to read that the USDA estimates 30% of US […]

Go For the Gold!

Posted February 22nd, 2018

Every 2 years, the Olympics cause excitement in my house. The kids actually want to watch the same thing on TV as the adults! We love cheering on these hard working athletes and learning the rules of sports we don’t typically watch. I also love hearing their inspiring stories, the risks they took and the […]

Cancer and Its Effect on Kids

Posted January 18th, 2018

For the first time, January has been recognized as Children Impacted by a Parent’s Cancer Month! There are over 5 million children who have a parent being treated for cancer, have lost a parent to cancer, or have a parent who is a survivor. These kids experience their parent’s cancer in their own unique ways. […]