Hearing the words “you have cancer” isn’t something we imagine happening to us until it does. All of a sudden we have to become educated about a disease we might know little about, including all the ways to treat it. Not to mention we have to make a plan for handling everyday tasks that used to be simple but will now require extra planning. It’s easy to be overwhelmed and you’re sure to have lots of questions.
We are proud to play our part in the treatment of cancer but we know we don’t do it alone. Going through cancer treatment is never a solo journey. There are multiple doctors, teams, loved ones and peers who will walk beside you both in the open and behind the scenes. We know you rely on so many more people than just your team at AVRTC and we want to shine a spotlight on some of the other organizations in our community that support our patients. One of these organizations is The Suz Fund.
If you’re interested in staying up-to-date on all of the cancer-related news and events across Alaska we’ve got good news. Sign up for the Alaska Cancer Resource newsletter for a weekly email featuring all the new and recurring support groups, educational events and more.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the events that are regularly featured in the newsletter:
We’ll be lacing up our running shoes this Saturday for the annual Alaska Run for Women in Anchorage! For the 12th year, Anchorage and Valley Radiation Therapy Center are proud to be a Pink Diamond sponsor of the race, manning the Mile One water station, also known as the music mile, where you can dance your way to hydration.
At the beginning of any cancer journey, you’ll hear doctors, nurses and even your peers using terms you may have never heard of before and it’s overwhelming. It’s always good to ask your oncology team to explain if they are using terms that you do not understand. We’ve put together this list of common radiation oncology terms as a resource to help you understand the language of radiation therapy.