RE:Connect
An Open Letter to Nursing Students
I always think about you at the beginning of each semester. I love reading about your experiences on Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. It takes me back to my own similar experiences – wearing a stethoscope but having no clue how to use it, trembling while giving my first injection while pretending I’d done it a million times, choking back tears realizing my first mistake, watching intimate moments in amazement and reverence.
What do you do when….
… a friend or colleague is not destined to be a survivor?
As I’ve said before on this blog, most of the patients I see are survivors. I hardly ever look in the obituary column of the paper because my patients generally don’t die from their cancer. I love that about my job. So it’s very hard when a friend or colleague gets a lethal form of cancer – and there is little hope for survival.
The Arimidex Price Trap
I recently read Leslie Ramirez’ blog claiming that pharmacy chains were charging over $300 for a one month’s supply of the new generic Arimidex (anastazole), while other pharmacies charged in the neighborhood of $20 for the same 30-day supply of the drug.
Professional Education Opportunity Focuses on Oncology Family Caregivers
Betty Ferrell, PhD, MA, FAAN, FPCN, and City of Hope announced a new professional training course today – Improving Quality of Life and Quality of Care for Oncology Family Caregivers. Four three-day courses will provide teams of competitively selected interdisciplinary oncology professionals the opportunity to learn from national experts to improve support for oncology family caregivers in cancer centers around the country. Selected teams will receive free registration and course materials, meals, and a hotel stipend, among other support.
When do you stop thinking about the cancer?
I had an interesting conversation with a 20+ year cancer survivor the other day. She had called me on some other business (a job reference for a colleague of mine) and she mentioned that she knew of my work in sexuality. She then told me that she had been treated for breast cancer 20 years ago. She said in a firm voice, “Why do people with cancer hang on to their cancer experience for so long?’
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