Patient Stories, Adult Archives | Page 18 of 19 | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Brain Tumor Survivor Shares Her Tips on the College Transition

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Frannie Palmer As a kid, I stumbled on my feet quite a bit. I had to use two hands on the railing while going down stairs. My parents thought I was just a little clumsy. The truth was, a brain tumor was creating pressure on my cerebellum and causing my incoordination. I was 6-years-old … Read more

Advice from Mother and Son on Facing Cancer Together

by Dana-Farber Staff

Hearing the words “you have cancer” can be hard enough, but what is it like to hear them echoed for a loved one? Having two cancer patients in one family calls for extra strength from everyone involved. Karen Perry was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer when she and her husband Brian learned that their son … Read more

Mother and Son, Both Cancer Survivors, Share Their Story on Radio-Telethon

by Dana-Farber Staff

When Lisa Robert is interviewed at Fenway Park for the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon presented by Arbella Insurance Foundation (Aug 19-20), her mind will no doubt drift back to 1976, when she was a 7-year-old leukemia patient at Dana-Farber and had the thrill of her life. She threw out the first pitch of the season … Read more

Lymphoma Survivor Tackles Breast Cancer While Helping Fellow Patients

by Dana-Farber Staff

When you’re 21, the last words you expect to hear are “you have cancer.” But, that was exactly the news I received in 1976 after a routine trip to my college infirmary landed me in Boston Children’s Hospital with Hodgkin lymphoma. Thanks to new treatments developed through clinical trials and a summer undergoing radiation therapy … Read more

Act of Kindness Sparks Friendship Between Two Neighbors

by Dana-Farber Staff

Those passing them in the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care at Dana-Farber may assume Pamela Desmarais is a dutiful daughter taking her elderly father to his appointments. They certainly look the part, but while Pamela Desmarais cares for 84-year-old prostate cancer patient Donald Segur, there is no familial bond between these two neighbors from East … Read more

Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Jenn Perry When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 36, it was like déjà vu for my family. My mother had been diagnosed with the same disease at the same age, while pregnant with her third child. I learned I had breast cancer just six months after giving birth to my second daughter. … Read more

How One Teacher Shared a Cancer Diagnosis with Her Students

by Dana-Farber Staff

May 2013 was an exciting time for my husband and me. We were in the process of buying our first house and thinking about starting a family. But, when a visit to the doctor to investigate pain in my right knee revealed a large mass, our excitement was quickly replaced with concern. After a series … Read more

Creative Coping Through Photographs

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Kat Caverly In the book “Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient” Norman Cousins explains that creativity is an effective therapy. I devoured this book during one of my three-hour chemotherapy infusions of Taxol. I was filled with such hope. I knew then I would be fine. I was diagnosed with breast … Read more

Rising from the Ashes

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Gerardo Martinez In May 2013, I had surgery to rid my body of that insidious monster we know as cancer. It was a particularly difficult time. I struggled to make sense of the irony of being diagnosed at the same age my dear mother was when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My mother … Read more

Motherhood, Pregnancy and Breast Cancer

by Dana-Farber Staff

While visiting her obstetrician in May 2012, 30-year-old Meghan Martin received life-changing news. The mother of two, who was seven-months pregnant with her third boy, learned she had breast cancer. “My first thoughts were: Will this baby live? Will I Live? Who is going to read bedtime stores?” Martin says. A day later, Martin began … Read more

CELLmates Take on Boston Marathon

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Tim O’Neill In 2006, my then 33-years-young wife, Kirsten, was diagnosed with Stage III rectal cancer. Her diagnosis was completely unexpected; she was young, a non-smoker and in overall good health. She had chemotherapy and multiple surgeries. Thankfully, we navigated the treatment with an excellent team of healthcare providers, loving family and caring friends. … Read more

Young Woman with Breast Cancer Finds Dream Team

by Dana-Farber Staff

A young woman in her prime, with a full life and meaningful career, does not expect a cancer diagnosis. But that is what happened to 34-year-old Erin, who received the news when she was in Paris with her mother and sister, on a long-awaited trip to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Living Life

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Jack Coates

In May 2001, I was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. I was 19 years old and had just finished my freshman year at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island.

Medulloblastoma is a cancer that affects the brain and the spine. I had three surgeries, 52 weeks of chemo, and six weeks of radiation. I spent a year and two months in the hospital and went from 217 pounds to 97. I was scared. I was asking God: “Why? Why did it have to happen to me?” It was shocking. Many things went through my mind.

A Tattoo and a Bulldog: How One Family Coped with Cancer

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Cindy Coyle

My husband Bill was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in January 2012. Needless to say it was a great shock to us and our three children, Billy, Sasha-Lee, and Jimmy.

Looking back, I realize how two unlikely events guided us through his treatment and recovery: a tattoo and a bulldog.

When It Comes To Fighting Leukemia, This Patient Says, “Sharpen your Sword”

By Buck Rogers

When I woke up from a 40-minute operation to remove a lymph node from my neck, my Ear, Nose & Throat surgeon approached me with another doctor and said, “I’d like you to meet your oncologist.” My life instantly changed; I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

After about six weeks of being scared, wondering how much time was left, trying to figure out what to tell our kids and our parents, my wife and I decided that the only choice was to fight as hard as we could. I started by running up and down Village Street in Medway, Mass., barely getting a mile before feeling winded. But the thought of doing nothing was even more frightening, so I kept running.

Cancer Diagnosis Leads to Nursing Career

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Maggie Loucks, NP-C

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 28, during my last semester of graduate school, I remember thinking that this had to mean something. I needed to turn an unfortunate situation into something positive, so I decided to pursue oncology nursing where I felt I could make a difference.

Video: Blogging Through Cancer

by Dana-Farber Staff

When Tara Shuman was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2012, blogging was not the first thing that came to mind.

“I put together an email to my friends and family to tell them about my diagnosis, and I realized when writing the email that it was very therapeutic,” Shuman says.

Marine Conquers Leukemia with Support from Family and the Massachusetts State Police

This Veteran’s Day, Dana-Farber thanks our patients, survivors, families, and friends who have served or are serving in the armed forces, including survivors Stacey Carroll, Ben Groen, and Tim Crowley, who tells his story below.

In June 2010, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a fast-moving disease where too many immature white blood cells are present in the blood and bone marrow, after doctors found abnormalities in routine blood work for the Marines. My wife, Julie, and I were in shock. We had just celebrated Father’s Day with our two young children, Jack and Kate, and now we would be spending the foreseeable future at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center.

One Year After My Stem Cell Transplant — What I’ve Learned

by Martha Laperle

When my son Ryan ran the Boston Marathon this year, I watched him with a special level of pride. Not only had he completed his first-ever marathon in four hours, but he was running, in large part, because of me.

Just over a year earlier, at the age of 57, I had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a diagnosis that turned my life upside down and led to weeks of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center (DF/BWCC). Ryan was running to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and had received nearly $11,000 in pledges.

Barely a minute after Ryan crossed the finish line, the area shook with explosions.

Breast Cancer, a Convertible, and a Zest for Life

by Dana-Farber Staff

By Meg McCormick

When I learned I had a stage 4 breast cancer, I decided not let it rob me of the opportunities to enjoy my life. I still have a physically active, socially engaged lifestyle, and if you have metastatic breast cancer, so can you.