Patient & Researcher Blog
Here I aim to capture what I am learning as a newbie researcher from a patient perspective.
Living with a slow growing brain cancer
It is taboo for researchers to talk about their work before it is published.
I think that’s a bummer.
My favorite part about research is learning new things in real time. Here I share my observations as a learner and my n of 1 (personal) findings as a patient.
Note: I started blogging about brain cancer in 2008, at age 29.
I had no background or knowledge about healthcare when I began. Please excuse typos and other misconceptions. What you read here is me in real time, like a time capsule.
There are more than 500 posts here. Use this search to look for something specific. Good luck!
Talking about median survival time with friends
My friend's reaction reminded me that most people don't know the scope of my diagnosis. I think it is best to keep the details here, on this blog. It is a positive thing for people to be proud of their friend Liz, a "brain cancer survivor."
I might have nystagmus
The worst case scenario you could have in this situation is a brain tumor.
MRI tones seem to organize into a waltz-like rhythm
Anyone who has been subjected to the monotonous volleys of noise from the oscillating magnetic fields that bombard one during an MRI has probably had a similar experience. Sometimes the deafening ticks of the machine seem to organize themselves in a waltzlike rhythm or threes, sometimes in groups of four or five.
Snippets from: The Brain that Changes Itself
If you haven't seen me lately, don't even talk to me about the human brain because it's my favorite topic and I won't stop talking for hours. I could talk about neuroscience about as long as I can complain about the improper use of typefaces.
Cancer treatment for dummies
As a matter of fact, the World Health Organization only recently classified cancer as "chronic disease," like diabetes and or stroke. This may still sound like a crap sandwich, but it sure beats the previous classification as a "deadly disease".