Kim Johnson

Learning more about those who work for pharmaceutical companies can be an eye-opening experience.

And no matter how isolating cancer can be for some patients, they need to know that they are not alone. An entire world of resources is out there, but without somebody to guide those affected by cancer, they may never know of this world.

I learned a lot during my time as a caregiver, and plan to carry that over in my career as an oncology nurse.

It is important that adolescents and young adults with cancer reach out and seek support when they need it.

The Healing Tree program at the Dempsey center helps young people who were affected by cancer cope.

Many people think that this field is filled with sadness. And while it does have its difficult days, oncology nursing is also extremely rewarding.

"I saw people in my life go through cancer, but seeing my daughter do it was devastating," he said.

Watching your child go through cancer is difficult, but this mother explained how she stayed hopeful.

Cancer can bring some tough decisions, but it is important to let go of regret.

Trusting your intuition can be key.

It is important to learn boundaries between nurses, patients and caregivers when in a clinical setting.

It's important to make the effort to push past the anxiety that comes with a cancer diagnosis.

Even though we tend to teach kids, sometimes they are the ones who can teach us the most.

Is it possible to grieve for someone who is still alive?

When her sister had hit another roadblock in her treatment, Kim found something else – a remarkable young man who changed her perception of caregiving.

It is important that caregivers of those with cancer step back and realize that they are their own person, too.

No matter how expensive treatment was, we didn’t want to put a price tag on my sister’s life.

No matter how difficult it may have been and is to watch another endure cancer, nothing will ever compare to the level of difficulty for those who live with that diagnosis daily.

When she was originally diagnosed, I knew nothing of palliative care. I had only heard about hospice, and the use of that word terrified me.

While only time will tell if the Cancer Moonshot will spearhead a decade of progress in five years, it is indisputable that Vice President Biden has brought the urgency to curing cancer back into focus.

A vast majority of my friends and the people that I know are in the field of nursing. Because of this, the phrase, “just a nurse” isn't one that I hear very often. That being said, I was having a conversation the other day and that sentence set my ears on fire. I was immediately taken aback by the sheer ignorance that I had been privy to.

Knowing that my sister gained remission gives me an immense bias, but ask the question, “Good or bad?” now and my answer may just be, “hard to tell.”

One caregiver grapples with the consequences of her sister's terminal cancer diagnosis.

A cancer caregiver reflects on a time when all seemed lost.

Remission may put an end to the disease, but it does not always stop the feeling of being lost.

A young cancer survivor shares insight on what it was like being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and how she deals in day-to-day life.

My sister was told about hair loss many times at the beginning of treatment, but the magnitude of being bald didn't hit her until the hair started coming out.

Of every complication caused from cancer and its treatments, nausea has been the worst for my sister. It has caused pain, discomfort and was the number one reason she returned to the emergency room. No matter what medications were dosed, whether it was orally or by IV, or how much they gave to her, so often, nothing ever seemed to work.

From diagnosis to remission, my sister had cancer for nearly three years. Because of that, the cancer dates that mark my calendar are plentiful. I can recall most of them from memory without a second glance. While I was recently going through my old planners, I noticed just how many dates are filled with notations of cancer.

Treatment decisions are not always easy, but this is one I don't regret making.