By Cancerwise Blogger on May 11, 2012 7:59 AM
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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.
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.
By Sara Farris on March 23, 2012 12:29 PM
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Tell children something and they might understand. Show them something and they'll remember it.
In March, MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital
did just that. Through two educational events, pediatric patients and
their siblings engaged in fun, interactive activities that brought
learning to life. One fish, two fish "Red fish, blue fish," read one 6-year-old patient. She was among many participating in Read Across America Day hosted by the Pediatric Education and Creative Arts Programat MD Anderson. The annual literacy day celebrates the birthday of Dr.
Seuss, inspiring more than 45 million young readers across the nation to
pick up a book and read.
At the Children's Cancer Hospital,
patients spent the day reading Dr. Seuss books with hospital staff,
making Seuss-inspired art projects, performing a "Seussical" play with
Theatre Under the Stars,and finishing the day with a Dr. Seuss movie.
Throughout the year, patients have the opportunity to participate in various
interactive learning experiences through the hospital's privately accredited school. This spring, students will become young entrepreneurs in the lemonade business, will take a special tour of the Downtown Aquarium as part of their distance learning curriculum and also will engage in their annual "field day."
By Cancerwise Blogger on February 28, 2012 8:09 AM
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By Janet Ruffin
Janet Hull Ruffin is an artist, arts educator and poet. She is finishing a book of poems showing what it's like to work with critically ill children in a major cancer center. She focuses on hospital culture, the therapeutic nature of art and spirituality.
I retired from MD Anderson in January 2009 after serving as the art teacher in the Children's Cancer Hospital for more than 10 years. My position was special because the time I spent with patients and their families was not about diagnoses, examinations or treatments. We made art together. Currently, I volunteer with the Children's Art Project working with pediatric patients.
I used to work at the Harris Country Juvenile Detention Center, so I was accustomed to making art with children in crisis and to working in intense situations. Nevertheless, I wasn't prepared for the emotional ups and downs I felt when working with children beset by serious illness. I also wasn't prepared for the grief and anxiety I felt for their parents.
Shifting emotional energy The creative process has always been my passion, and I'm amazed at how quickly the simple process of making art can shift emotional energies.
It doesn't matter whether it's painting, drawing, writing, dancing, making music, shooting photography or cooking. Whatever creative activity takes you out of yourself for a time will work.
By Sara Farris on February 22, 2012 7:45 AM
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If you had to design a space that appealed to a 5-year-old as well as a 25-year-old, what would it look like?
That
is exactly the question architects, patients, volunteers and parents
have worked to answer for the past year about the renovation of MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital.
Along
the way, they've learned that having access to an abundance of
electrical outlets is as important as hot coffee. Primary colors aren't
as kid-friendly as originally thought.
Inpatient rooms should be
equipped with more storage, and sicker patients want a quiet space to
wait separate from healthier patients. In addition, young adults want
their own unique area to hang out with peers.
Architects partnered with parents and patients to get the new pediatric floor design right, meeting with the hospital's Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Advisory Council and Family Advisory Council to get feedback on plans and concepts. A bedside perspective Lymphoma
survivor Greg Alquiza, 25, voiced his suggestions for the new pediatric
inpatient floor to architects at the AYA Advisory Council meeting in
June 2011.
"For me, I wanted to see more inspiring stories on the
walls about survivors my age," Alquiza says. "It's also important to
have creative ceiling décor in the rooms and large artistic structures
around the hospital that give patients something else to think about
besides their condition."
By Cancerwise Blogger on February 17, 2012 8:09 AM
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By Johnny Rigg, MD Anderson Staff Writer
Making people laugh is the inspiration behind 13-year-old Shelby Taylor's book, "America the Funny," a collection of puns and riddles about the 50 states.
In July 2010, Shelby was a patient at MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital when Martha Askins, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, noticed her.
"I started seeing Shelby in psychotherapy. She had acquired some side effects from the treatments, but she had certain well-developed functions -- her sense of humor and her spontaneity," Askins says. "She's very creative and thoughtful."
Askins believed that the young girl would benefit from the Arts in Medicine Program, where the primary goal is to foster joy through artistic expression.
"She had an amazing sense of humor, even as a little kid, and was always good with playing on words," says Diana Taylor, her mother. "She was writing stories at 5 years old. We have journals full of them."
Askins put Shelby in touch with Arts in Medicine Program Director Ian Cion.
"I'd meet with Shelby to work on illustrations for sessions that usually lasted about an hour. As we got closer to completion, we'd often work several hours at a time, going back and forth with drawings and ideas," Cion says.
By Sara Farris on February 15, 2012 12:59 PM
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A news story recently in the New York Times
has unveiled a growing concern among pediatric oncologists and health
care institutions at large. The injectable form of preservative free
methotrexate, commonly used to treat pediatric patients with leukemia and osteosarcoma, is in short supply.
The bigger drug shortage picture Drug shortages are an increasingly frequent and serious problem affecting health care organizations across the country.
"A
number of contributing factors are causing these shortages, such as raw
material unavailability, manufacturing difficulties and regulatory
issues, voluntary recalls related to manufacturing problems, changes in
medication formulation, and industry consolidations and economic
decisions," says Wendy Heck, Pharm.D., manager of drug information and
drug use policy at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Regardless of the
cause, drug shortages create great frustration for everyone involved,
including purchasing agents, pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and
patients. Fortunately, not all national drug shortages will go on to
affect MD Anderson.
"We meet weekly to review current drug
shortages. If a shortage does reach MD Anderson, our team works
diligently to develop a management plan to minimize the impact on our
patients," says Joel Lajeunesse, vice president of the Division of
Pharmacy. "For now, we have sufficient supplies of methotrexate for our
patients."
By Lucy Richardson on February 14, 2012 10:01 AM
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Harry Moore, an 84-year-old leukemia
patient, never thought he would get remarried after his wife of 66
years passed away two years ago. He'd finally accepted the fact he would
be alone. "I had decided I'd spend the rest of my life alone. I didn't
want anybody else," Moore says.
Marie Hazel Hargis, 71, had lost
her husband only a year before she attended the Champion Employee
Retiree Luncheon on Oct. 19, 2011.
Even though Harry and Marie's
husband had worked together for 30 years, and the two couples attended
the same church, they'd never met.
Fate brought them to the same
table that day, as they sat next to each other and talked during the
entire meal. "I love him very much. It was love at first sight," Marie
says. Too soon for sparks But the love wasn't welcome
in her heart -- not yet, anyway. She was still dealing with the loss of
her beloved husband. When sparks flew between her and Harry, she knew
she needed to get out of there, fast.
A few days passed and Marie received a Children's Art Project
card, with a red flower on the front, from Harry. He told her how much
he enjoyed meeting her and learning about her life with her husband, his
former co-worker.
By Cancerwise Blogger on February 14, 2012 8:01 AM
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By William Fitzgerald, MD Anderson Staff Writer
A group of pediatric cancer patients from MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital took a special field trip to Crave Cupcakes
to celebrate Valentine's Day and decorate their own delicious treats.
The outing provided the young patients with an exciting opportunity to
spend some time away from the hospital and enjoy the company of their
peers.
"We believe providing different opportunities to our young
patients and artists is important for their development," says Shannan
Murray, executive director of the Children's Art Project (CAP). "Even
though these children are dealing with a difficult illness, they're
still kids and want to have normal experiences."
After
disembarking from the hospital shuttle, the patients walked into a store
filled with colorful frosting, candy and other toppings. With help from
the gracious staff at Crave Cupcakes, the children jumped right in with
wide smiles.
The trip coincided with CAP's 2012 Valentine's Day Collection,
a variety of gifts based on artwork created by MD Anderson's pediatric
patients. A new collection of products is released each February, with
sale proceeds supporting scholarships, summer camps, a rehabilitative
ski trip to Utah and other patient programs.
By Sara Farris on February 1, 2012 8:00 AM
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When families first enter the doors of MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital,
they have one thing on their minds - eliminating their child's cancer.
What they get is so much more. An entire team, comprised of not just
medical experts, but specialists in education, child life and other supportive services, work to keep their child's life on track. Alaska at arm's length Using a Polycom video conferencing system, students at the Children's Cancer Hospital accredited school have
the opportunity to interact regularly with experts from the Houston Zoo
and Downtown Aquarium to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Video
conferencing allows kids to travel virtually across the country to
places they wouldn't be able to visit while undergoing treatment. In one
of their farthest virtual field trips, patients connected with an
indigenous community from Alaska and learned about their native dances
and cultures. Homework a click away Being able to stay
connected with friends is essential for patients, especially those from
out of town. For many patients, the Polycom system allows them to
connect with their school back home.
For patients who aren't up
for leaving their hospital room, they can view programming from the
classroom or PediDome on a closed-circuit television system. This is a
welcomed resource for patients isolated to their rooms due to
compromised immune systems.
By Cancerwise Blogger on January 23, 2012 11:57 AM
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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.
I
have to say that I was happy to ring in the New Year and say "hasta la
vista, baby" to 2011. Last year was a huge mountain for Addison to
climb. But he scaled it with a heavy load, while refusing to yield to
leukemia's wrath.
I remember when I saw the protocol with 104 weeks of chemotherapy
at the time of his relapse. I never thought the end of treatment would
occur. He's now looking down at 81 weeks -- "run Forrest, run!" We're
crossing our fingers and hearts that he will finish chemo in June, in
time to ship off to Texas A&M this fall.
Addie started the
year like he lives each day. He fell on jump boxes while working out and
split open his shin. I didn't flinch but realized that his platelets
must have been decent, even though it took a while to stop the bleeding.
Boy, I am getting lax.
By Cancerwise Blogger on December 15, 2011 8:05 AM
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By Sara Farris
Loads of
toys coming in, gingerbread houses being made, choirs singing, delicious
treats being shared -- it must be the holidays at MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital.
While
the hospital is the last place a child wants to be during the holiday
season, the Children's Cancer Hospital partners with community groups to
make it a special time for patients and their families.
Toys galore There's
no better way to cheer up a young patient than with a shiny new toy.
With the support of many community groups, the Children's Cancer
Hospital provides patients and siblings with bundles of gifts. There's a
variety of gifts for all ages to choose from -- video games, digital
audio players, dolls, art kits, remote-controlled cars and more.
Houston
Performance Driving, led by Troy Dixon, organized a toy drive with
local car enthusiasts at their December "Coffee and Cars" show. Bringing
in more than 3,000 toys, it's the biggest donation that MD Anderson
receives each year.
In addition, other organizations such as
Quanex, Aramco and the Rainbows and Roses Foundation contributed toys
for pediatric patients at MD Anderson. Quanex also donated money to the
hospital's Pediatric Education and Creative Arts Program for
school-related equipment, while Aramco helped stock the video game and
movie cart that goes room to room on the inpatient floor.
Toys
that aren't given away during the holidays are used for birthday
presents and bingo prizes for patients throughout the year.
By Cancerwise Blogger on November 3, 2011 2:08 PM
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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.
Chemo only Addie finished proton radiation at the beginning of July and commenced with "chemo only" visits.
Addie
continued working as a lifeguard and training for football season
throughout the summer. I guess I missed the small print on proton
radiation to the brain saying that inflammation in the brain can be a
"normal" side effect.
The morning football camp was to begin,
Addie hovered over me and said the heart stopping words no cancer family
wants to hear, "I have fever. Should I pack up food for the hospital?"
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.
