Family Members

Mark Ryan, RN, emphasizes the importance of communication between doctors and patients, using as an example the stressful time his wife Anabel had because of miscommunication related to the results of a CT scan.

Take time to acknowledge all the people who have been supporting you along your journey—there may be more than you think.

Douglas Herman describes the touching moments at his mom’s bedside before she succumbed to bone cancer, and his subsequent journey from distressing thoughts to 40 years of endurance before he received a diagnosis of stage IV prostate cancer.

Joyce Karney writes poetically about the pain of losing her soul mate Glenn, and the struggle of adapting to a new life without him.

When his 91-year-old mother-in-law needed full-time care after her colon cancer diagnosis, Mark Ryan made some adjustments in the family home to ensure her comfort and well-being.

After dealing with cancer in his family, Mehrshad Fekri faced the implications of his family history, and decided to educate men about breast cancer and to refocus his graduate studies on cancer research.

Paul Kidwell shares his devastating experience at a family gathering for his 31-year-old nephew, who was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer at age 25 and had only weeks to live.

Writing about his struggle as a husband, father, and caregiver during his wife’s agonizing battle with metastatic cancer helped Miguel Barron begin to heal, finally, only after he accepted how his life had changed forever.

“A cancer diagnosis can derail even the best methods of communication,” says oncology social worker Katie Narvarte. She offers tips on how to address difficult topics related to cancer, and how to avoid saying the wrong things.