By Kim Benz

Once upon a time, there was a girl who grew up on the beaches of Gulf Shores, Ala. As a teenager she would bask in the warm summer sun, her skin glistening with baby oil.

Fast forward a few years. At age 17, the girl discovered tanning beds and was instantly addicted.

The girl I'm talking about is me. 

My name is Kim Benz. I'm a sun addict. Yes, this is a confession and if there was a tanaholics anonymous, I would most certainly be attending. 

I love being outdoors and until about a year ago, I loved nothing more than lounging in the sun with minimal sunscreen. I did give up the tanning beds, but only two years ago at age 36. 

I was diagnosed with skin cancer, a basal cell carcinoma, about 15 years ago after I had a suspicious-looking mole that often would bleed.

Continue reading When 'good' tans go bad: confessions of a tanaholic.

By Sophia E.

Continued from Chordoma, caring and coffee part 1

After chordoma
Obviously, a sense of humor has helped during the years as I had to learn to live with several residual handicaps after chordoma surgeries and radiation treatments -- accommodations for which are listed in the following litany, some of which may be helpful to others.

When dining with other people, try not to chew and speak at the same time (it's not polite, anyway). Spitting, coughing, choking and sneezing does not make for an attractive meal partner.

Order food that is moist and slides down easily, and sip liquids when swallowing. Fish, sauces, mashed potatoes, applesauce and thick soups work well. Experiment to find other choices.

Save the bagels, rolls, steak and thick corned beef sandwiches for home when you can cut them into small pieces and take two hours or more to eat. One gets tired of having everyone else's plates cleared while you're still eating and wind up leaving half of your food or taking it home.

Remember to do those throat, lip and tongue stretching exercises two to three times daily. They do help your smile.

Continue reading Chordoma, caring and coffee part II.

By Cristina Rodriguez

I'm a 30-year-old non-Hodgkin's lymphoma fighter. It's not all that I am, but it's all I'm focused on at the moment. The purpose of my blog, lymphomamaniac, is manifold.

I want to record this experience, not just for myself, but for anyone who can relate to or learn from my experience. I want to let people know that cancer can be funny and cancer is not politically correct. Why should I care about cancer's feelings? Cancer sucks and I'm going to kick its butt. 

"Intro to Stem Cell Transplant." That was the name of the class I took a couple of weeks ago at MD Anderson. This optional class made me think harder about it than anything since I started my battle against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"Why them and not me?"
I know that sounds weird being that I'm going through a cancer battle, but let me explain.

This class was for stem cell transplant candidates and their caregivers to learn what to expect and how to prepare for the inescapable leave of absence from their homes. We got information on what a stem cell transplant is, the types of transplants, health risks and on and on.
 
I was alone in this class and that fact was not lost on me. It wasn't anybody's fault. My father was waiting in the lobby, since English is not his forte, and my husband was stuck working for the medical insurance I still so desperately need. 

Continue reading Transplant 101 .

By Lura Lumsden, health education specialist, Patient Education Office - The Learning Center

Growing up in a small town in Virginia, I always had a huge vegetable garden, so eating healthy was easy. When I went to college, my diet changed. With my main focus on studying, I rarely cooked and often opted for quick meals that weren't always the healthiest option.

Since I began working at MD Anderson in The Learning Center, I've tried to live a healthier lifestyle. Good nutrition has become a priority, and I pay close attention to what my family eats. To ensure that we eat more fruits and vegetables, I prep all of the produce when I get home from the grocery store. I wash, cut and store it in the fridge so that I can grab and go.

What we offer
The Learning Center offers free information at all levels -- from very basic materials all the way to physician-level resources.

Although many of the cookbooks in The Learning Center are cancer-specific, the recipes are for anyone who wants to eat healthier.

Our Nutrition Pathfinder is a condensed list of reliable resources including books, cookbooks, videos, brochures and periodicals. Patients and family members are encouraged to use our email reference service to send us their questions.
Contact us at asktlcstaff@mdanderson.org.

Nutrition for patients
Proper nutrition is important for people who have cancer. The disease and treatment can cause changes in appetite. If you are experiencing changes in appetite or difficulty eating you should speak with a dietitian. At MD Anderson, every patient has access to a dietitian, so ask your doctor for a referral.

Continue reading Let's get cooking.

By Justin Ozuna

Justin Ozuna lives in Dallas and was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in January 2006. He is a Texas State Representative and Dallas/Fort Worth facilitator for The National CML Society. His mission is to capture the ups and downs of a young adult living with cancer and to serve people through humor, encouragement, hope and adversity at his blog, theozunaverse.com.

I'm not much of a runner. My only experience running a timed event was during a junior high track meet. I ran the equivalent of one lap, or 400 meters. It didn't turn out so well. I was responsible for the last leg of a 1600 meter relay so by the time I was passed the baton, the competition was three-fourths of a lap ahead of me. I didn't have a chance.

Early in my fight with leukemia, I felt much the same way. I was 25 years old, struggling to get ahead. It felt like life was passing me by. I was anxious for the baton, for a chance to sprint, because catching up with the world around me was the only thing I knew to do. Everything else, I figured, would take care of itself.

When I was younger, it was extremely difficult to wrap my mind around the big picture. I grew up in an excessive culture defined by immediacy and indulgence, where patience is considered weakness and investments are often vilified. To rely on endurance to get me through the trials and tribulations of life was a tough lesson to learn.

Race with a purpose
Four years after my diagnosis, I moved to Dallas and discovered I was growing resistant to Gleevec, a first-line medication. I learned of a mutation called t315i, which would prevent any known FDA-approved medication from working. It was at that moment I started to see things differently. I realized the futility of my self-centered approach to life and reinvigorated my efforts to run the race against cancer with a purpose.

I stopped believing life was a sprint. A diagnosis of leukemia didn't necessarily mean I was going to live a shortened life, it simply meant I had to run smarter, more effectively, and with purpose. I knew as soon as I let go of that truth, I would lose. And so I pressed forward. I decided to do whatever I could to cross the finish line with determination.

Continue reading What cancer has taught me: life is a marathon.

By Val Marshall

Val Marshall's cancer journey began in May 2009, when her son Addison was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. A visit to the family doctor for what they thought was a simple high school football injury turned out to be much more.

Inspired by her son's strength and hope, Val strives to be a voice that connects other parents on this journey. Her series shares insight into her life as a mom of a typical teenager who just happens to be fighting leukemia.

Addison Marshall crush cancer

It's a bitter sweet time as Addie will be graduating on May 26 and will begin his new chapter at Texas A&M in August. When you have faced the world of relapse, you tend to fear the end of treatment and the hospital family that has caught your fall for 1,095 days, but who's counting?

Jack and I were invited to an MD Anderson fundraiser in West Texas a couple weekends ago and we reflected on the support system we've received as parents these last three years.

Apparently, other families have felt this love as well. Polo on the Prairie is in its 26th year and has raised millions of dollars for cancer research because one family has modeled what MD Anderson teaches us with hope, science and the never-ending quest for a cure.

Continue reading This is my MD Anderson.

By Adelina Espat and Laura Nathan-Garner

Looking for a treat to beat the heat? Try one of these cancer-fighting drink recipes.

Each provides plenty of fruity flavors with cancer-fighting vitamins and nutrients for just a fraction of the calories and sugar found in most beverages.

Citrus punch
This first recipe is a sweet way to quench your thirst on a hot summer day. The orange juice and cranberry juice in this recipe offer a healthy dose of cancer-fighting antioxidants like vitamin C. You'll get the most vitamin C if you use freshly- squeezed orange juice, but refrigerated or frozen concentrate also will do the body good.

Get our recipe for Citrus Punch.

Sparkling grape party punch
Want to offer a festive alternative to alcohol at your next gathering? Serve this punch recipe. The grapes and grape juice provide a powerful dose of resveratrol -- the same cancer-preventing antioxidant in red wine -- with none of alcohol's drawbacks. And the citrus juices in the recipe give you a generous amount of vitamin C.

Get our recipe for Sparkling Grape Party Punch.

Continue reading 3 Cancer-fighting drink recipes.

By Holly Easley

Holly Easley began her cancer journey five years ago when she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). After two types of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, she says she loves life, is improving daily and enjoys blogging about the cancer experience at http://hollyeasley.wordpress.com/.

My husband and I arrived in Houston a week early for my stem cell transplant. We wanted to get him moved into an apartment and I needed several tests prior to the surgery. 

My appointments that week included a CT scan, anesthesia assessment, transplant coordinator visit, bone marrow biopsy, echocardiogram, subclavian catheter insertion, complete pulmonary function test, social work visit, business office appointment and an appointment with Chitra Hosing, M.D., my stem cell transplant doctor. 

One of the most helpful things I experienced that week was a stem cell pre-admission class. In the class, the nurse told us about everything from hospital admission to the dismissal. It was very informative.

Beginning the journey
I was admitted for my stem cell transplant on May 17, 2011.

Continue reading My stem cell transplant hospital admission .

By Sophia M.

Oh, does the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee smell good in the morning -- even if I cough and sneeze while drinking it. The coughing and sneezing are a small price to pay for having what, for me, is the perfect welcome to a new day. And, I surely did miss it during those endless months of recuperation.

I consider myself an optimist -- maybe as that famous song from South Pacific says, "A Cockeyed Optimist." Nonetheless, it took me a long time to say the words "I have chordoma disease." 

I guess because I have always refused to consider this disease a major part of my identity, and although it is a definite part of my physical being, it is not the core part of my psyche.

That's not to say that I'm unrealistic. I just prefer to compartmentalize that aspect of my life and put that bundle of worries somewhere "over there" while I live as best I can. Of course, sporadic moments remind me each day of my post-surgical deficits and that this disease and I are inextricably intertwined.

Those moments include setting aside the necessary time each morning (after coffee) to do the mouth, lip, tongue and stretching exercises to keep my speech and eating mechanisms more facile.

Looking back at the events that brought me to MD Anderson compels me to relive some painful, poignant memories. But I'm writing these words in hope that my story can, in some small way, provide inspiration for others.

Continue reading Chordoma, caring and coffee part I.

By Angela Rankin

Angela Rankin is a three-time primary cancer survivor, who attributes her positive attitude and "fighting" stamina to her faith, family and friends. The excellent care received at MD Anderson gave her "healing confidence."

She continues to fight as she also deals with Parkinson's disease and severe back problems. She's been an active member of MD Anderson's Celebration Singers, a singing group made up of cancer survivors and caregivers, and has no doubt that music heals.

When I was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in 2005, I knew I had a long road ahead of me. Then, the "road" took a series of unexpected turns when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, melanoma and Parkinson's disease within the next three years.

I was being treated at the No. 1 cancer hospital in the country, but I also needed medicine for my mind. That's when I decided to focus on music. "He who sings scares away his woes." (Cervantes)

Continue reading "Tuned" for healing.

By David Renninger, facilities project manager

As one of the world's most respected cancer centers, MD Anderson symbolizes excellence. This includes our facilities -- a network of state-of-the-art buildings interconnected by lushly appointed gardens and green spaces throughout the main Houston campus.

The beauty of our gardens is recognized throughout the region, but they serve a much larger role than to simply add curb appeal to buildings.

MD Anderson's gardens and green spaces contribute to a holistic healing process, lift the spirits of patients and improve patient satisfaction.

The mission of our in-house grounds and landscape team is to enhance the MD Anderson experience by creating and maintaining healing and therapeutic environments of care for patients, visitors and staff.

The gardens are dynamic environments and always in a state of renovation. We constantly strive to capture the interest of garden visitors and provide them with a positive distraction from the burdens of their hospital stay.

Continue reading The Restorative Effect of Gardens at MD Anderson.

By Toni Franciosi, Department of Social Work

Receiving a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness like cancer may be one of the greatest agents of change that exists -- a change that can lead to the pursuit of healing, not only for the body, but also for the mind and spirit.

For cancer patients and their caregivers alike, diagnosis and treatment may become an all-consuming, anxiety-provoking game of survival.

The mind and body connection
The strain of undergoing treatment and caretaking may seem relentless at times.  But it's important to remember that our own thoughts and perceptions about what's happening can fuel an even greater "stress response," that can compromise healing. Under stress, the body experiences an increase in cortisol, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, cholesterol and heart rate, as well as lowered immune response.  

The mind and spirit suffer the consequences of stress as well. When the mind judges a situation, specifically as "good" or "bad," we are vulnerable to feeling isolated and separate.

Attitude is everything
Stressors in life cannot be eliminated, but they can be better managed. 

The Greek philosopher, Epictetus, reminds us that "it is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." Attitude is everything. Learning to relax the body and mind furthers the healing process by fostering greater levels of healthy biological markers, compassion, emotional stability, immune response and overall well-being. 

Continue reading Patient and Caregiver, Heal Thyself.