Putting Your Pantry to Work: Dips, Salads and Sandwiches

Posted April 8th, 2020

Americans are facing many challenges at the moment. Just one of these challenges is to keep dining at home both interesting and nutritious day after day using what you already have in the pantry or your freezer. Here are some basics tips: Canned vegetables have received a bad reputation because they are higher in sodium […]

Jenny’s COVID Cancer Bit

Posted April 7th, 2020

Oddly enough, my cancer treatment trained me for this unforgettable moment in history. All my life I had been chubby. In my 30’s I picked up running and finally got into shape.  Someone suggested taking up yoga to improve my running, I did, and it worked like a charm. After a year of practicing yoga, I was diagnosed […]

My Experience as the Music Volunteer at Penn

Posted April 2nd, 2020

From the time I started my graduate degree in Music therapy, I knew I wanted to do work within the medical setting. The very first class I ever took was based on methods in medical music therapy and immediately something clicked for me. I realized I wanted to be the person who brought music to […]

Feeling Pride and Terrified…Our New Normal

Posted March 30th, 2020

Feeling pride and terrified at the same time seems to be the new norm at my house. As each new day approaches the uncertainties and fears can sometimes be crippling. While there are so many other families around us that are staying home, 4 out of the 5 of us living here under the same […]

Staying Active During The Coronavirus

Posted March 24th, 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. As more and more people are infected in the United States, you may feel that your life is being turned upside down. In order to help reduce the spread of infection, it is recommended that you keep your social distance, […]

Does FREE air transportation really exist?

Posted January 7th, 2020

There may be no such thing a free lunch, but thanks to voluntary pilot organizations FREE air transportation for those in need does exist! This is possible thanks to generous volunteer pilots who donate their time, aircraft and fuel. It is important to remember that this service is not an air ambulance, but instead gets […]

“Dear Patient.” Hints from a healthcare provider on talking about financial toxicity.

Posted November 27th, 2019

Dear Patient, Let’s be honest; we talk a lot about your fatigue, your nausea, your neuropathy, and all the other physical symptoms of treatment and your disease and those things are important.  There’s something else that might be just as important that we never mention…your finances (or how much that drug you’re taking is going […]

Coping with Financial Toxicity: Help is Available

Posted November 14th, 2019

When someone is given a cancer diagnosis, treatment guidelines are reviewed by the physician and then it is common for the oncology nurse to spend time with the individual discussing each drug, their possible side effects, and toxicities.  The role of the oncology nurse in the assessment and management of side effects is key and […]

National Physical Therapy Month

Posted October 18th, 2019

October is National Physical Therapy Month. Physical therapy can be a great benefit to patients, especially those with cancer. Christina Lombardi, PT, DPT, shares answers to some questions about physical therapy in this guest blog. Who Are Physical Therapists? A physical therapist, also called a PT, is a healthcare provider that diagnoses and treats people […]

The “Outsiders”–How to Support Siblings of Children Who Have Cancer

Posted September 19th, 2019

It is undeniable that having a child with cancer is one of the hardest experiences parents endure. Families are miraculous systems, shifting, bending, and working themselves into the most incredible yoga poses to adjust to these situations. As a part of this yoga dance, siblings find themselves outside of their regular routine, and often on […]