Well-meaning but clueless person: "Let me know if you need anything." Snarky me: "Really? Thanks! Empty your purse and let's see what you have in there. Wait, is that purse Prada? I need that, I have medical bills to pay and want to look good paying them. Oh, that's a pretty wedding ring, lots of diamonds, can I have that too?"What you should say is absolutely nothing. This is a time ...
Ann Silberman
The problem with I Heart Boobies bracelets worn by middle school students
Many of you know that a judge in Pennsylvania has determined that the popular "I Heart Boobies" bracelets worn by middle school students are a form of free speech intended to raise awareness of breast cancer and cannot be restricted by schools.As much as I love a good double-entrendre, I find the entire situation to be sad, particularly the misinformed comments I've seen made by parents of ...
Cancer will always be a part of a patient’s identity
So, you've cut off your breast(s) and poisoned and radiated your body. You've hit all your medical milestones - surgery, chemo, herceptin. You've recovered and the hair on your legs has grown back to plague you, and you have gotten back to a normal life. Work, jobs, family. Shaving.Yet you are changed. You didn't expect this, but each time you get dressed or undressed, you can't help but notice your mastectomy ...
EMR, a patient’s perspective
My oncologist's office implemented a new EMR system when I was in the middle of chemo. Once the nurses learned the system, I saw no difference in the care I got from them.Not quite so with the doctor. My experience with him changed dramatically.Before EMR I would enter the exam room and sit on a chair, play Angry Birds on my iPhone and wait. My doctor would walk in, make ...
