Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Survivor Kate Arnold's Top Tips | Marrow Masters
Kate Arnold underwent a stem cell transplant for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma 12 years ago. She joins us today to discuss her best survivorship tips for every step of the process.
First, you need a goal--- a "why." For Kate, she wanted to get her young daughters through high school. Today, they are both in college.
Throughout this process, listen to your gut. ASK QUESTIONS - there are no stupid questions, even if they seem trivial. Make sure you have a medical team that you are comfortable with. Despite many options available in Chicago, Kate opted to have her treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
It's also important to find humor in your situation. Kate says she and her husband were very open about their story, and weren't afraid to crack jokes. Also, even if you have cancer, you still have a life beyond that. Kate talks about dancing in the kitchen with her kids.
Make your mental health a priority. Through the Cancer Wellness Center (https://www.cancerwellness.org/), Kate found a therapist that had a specialty in oncology - she was uniquely qualified to talk about all aspects of the process - even those dark thoughts that creep into a patient's head. She learned that adjusting to a gratitude mindset was very helpful.
Because she wasn't afraid to speak up for herself, Kate often got direct phone numbers for doctors and other staff. She tells us a story about when that came in very handy.
Often, when you have cancer, well-meaning friends and family can say some pretty awful things. Kate and Peg talk about ways to pivot the conversation away from difficult topics, horror stories, or simply bad advice.
Kate is very open and honest about regrets she has had through this whole process. She wishes she had secured mental health help for her kids earlier, and she also wishes she'd been more compassionate toward bad behavior. She encourages any parent with cancer to think about where their children's outbursts are coming from. In fact, it was something her youngest said that gave her clarity.
All patients - and all treatment centers - are different. Advice and protocols change between them. It's important to listen to your medical team.
Links:
MD Anderson Cancer Center: https://www.mdanderson.org/ (https://www.mdanderson.org/)
Imerman Angels: https://imermanangels.org/ (https://imermanangels.org/)
Be The Match: https://bethematch.org/ (https://bethematch.org/)
Other Resources
National Bone Marrow Transplant Link - (800) LINK-BMT, or (800) 546-5268.
nbmtLINK Website: https://www.nbmtlink.org/ (https://www.nbmtlink.org/)
nbmtLINK Facebook Page: (https://dashboard.simplecast.c....om/accounts/854d02d0 (https://www.facebook.com/nbmtLINK)
nbmtLINK YouTube Page can be found by clicking here. (https://www.youtube.com/channe....l/UCfMIJB9J9pXQpcdbZ
Thank you to this season's sponsors:
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, www.lls.org (https://www.lls.org)
Sanofi: https://www.sanofi.com/ (https://www.sanofi.com/)
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/epi....sode/12567681?utm_so
(video made with Headliner.app)
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