That small, chronic cough can feel like nothing. A scratch in the throat. A nuisance. After all you’ve carried through cancer, you might be tempted to brush it off and “see if it passes.” But with Immunotherapy Pneumonitis, a new cough or shortness of breath can be a smoke alarm, not background noise. Immunotherapy Pneumonitis…
Read moreWhy I Break One Small Rule Every Day
The Danger of Autopilot I’ve driven the same route to the grocery store for years. My hands move without much thought. Turn signal, brake, accelerate; my body knows the sequence so well my mind drifts. One Tuesday, a deer burst into the road from the right. I yanked the wheel left. Pure reflex. I made…
Read moreThe Job No One Offered to Hire You to Do
The Job No One Offered to Hire You to Do When I got my treatment plan from my oncologist, I understood every line. After 34 years as a surgeon, that part felt familiar. What I didn’t understand, what no one warned me about, was the second job that arrived with the diagnosis. There was no…
Read morePalliative Care vs Hospice for Cancer Patients: What Each One Actually Does, When to Ask, and How to Bring It Up
When you’re a cancer patient living with cancer, certain words can land like a weight in your chest. “Palliative care.” “Hospice care.” They can sound like a verdict, even when they’re not. But these services are less like doors closing and more like extra hands showing up when things get heavy for those facing a…
Read moreTumor Lysis Syndrome in Cancer: Early Symptoms, Key Labs, and When to Go to the ER
If you’ve recently started chemotherapy treatment, you may have been warned about side effects that sound scary, and feel even scarier at 2 a.m. when your stomach flips or your heart seems to race. One of those urgent complications is Tumor lysis syndrome. Tumor lysis syndrome, an oncologic emergency (often called TLS), can move fast….
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