How a childhood leukemia and sarcoma diagnosis shaped my career
Before I was diagnosed with cancer in June 1998, I wanted to be a princess, a teacher or a veterinarian.
Instead, I became a registered nurse at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital — the place that saved my life. And it’s all because of the outstanding care I received here as a child.
Dual diagnosis: granulocytic sarcoma and acute myeloid leukemia
My cancer story began the summer after first grade. At the time,...
Skin cancer screening: 6 things your dermatologist wants you to know
At increased risk for skin cancer? You may need regular skin cancer screening exams. These screening exams help find skin cancer early, when...
What I learned as a stage IV colorectal cancer survivor
My journey to MD Anderson began in November 2012, when I came down with what I thought was a 24-hour stomach flu. My doctor referred me to...
A stomach cancer survivor’s advice for other patients
When you first come to MD Anderson, you may be so overwhelmed that you have a real sense of urgency when you get here. Maybe you feel like there’s an alien invader in your body, so you want to jump straight into chemo.
I understand that desire. I was diagnosed with stomach cancer in July 2005, and I ended up having both my stomach and my esophagus surgically removed.
But my advice is to slow down. It took about a month to...
How I survived breast cancer treatment away from home
When my very first mammogram revealed stage IIIC breast cancer, I was dealt the shock of my life.
My mother died just seven months...
How synovial sarcoma has helped me become a better person
As someone who’s still in the midst of his cancer journey, I can honestly tell you that having cancer isn’t all doom and gloom. In fact, living...
Stuntman confronts renal cell carcinoma with art, music
If you ask Tracy E. Thomas, living with cancer becomes much easier when you learn to shift your focus to something else. For him, that’s meant...
What I learned from tonsil cancer
I grew up in a medical family. My father was a doctor, and my mother was hospital dietitian. So, I've been familiar with medicine and medical...
Learning to smile after triple-negative breast cancer treatment
Hashmat Effendi has spent much of her life organizing teams of medical professionals from the United States to travel to various developing...
Meeting with a dietitian during cancer treatment: What to expect
While there are no foods that can kill cancer cells, the foods you eat during cancer treatment can have a big impact. Changes to your diet...
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor finds help, hope
Random nose bleeds and unexplained bruises were Edgar Villalta’s first clues that something was wrong. Then little red dots appeared all over...
MS survivor: A stem cell transplant gave me the chance to watch my sons grow
I might be the only MD Anderson patient who never had cancer. Or, at least, that’s how I felt on that winter day in 2008 when I first entered...
Celebrating life after oral cancer treatment
In June 2015, I was visiting my parents when I came down with a sore throat and found a flesh-colored lump on the right side of my tongue....
5 ways to distract yourself during cancer treatment
One of the things that I learned as a testicular cancer patient at MD Anderson is that distraction is the name of the game. Our brains are...
My brain tumor story
My brain tumor diagnosis came suddenly. I had no pain, headaches or any kind of warning. On Oct. 3, 2016, I had difficulty conveying my thoughts...
Savoring life after my stomach cancer diagnosis
The connection between what we eat and how we feel is so elementary, yet for some reason we forget or push it to the side.
But as a...
How a stem cell transplant put me in remission after double-hit lymphoma
After an MRI in 2004 for back pain, my doctor found a cyst on the right side of my stomach that had to come out. A surgeon in Abbeville, Louisiana...