New Year’s Wishes 2016

Posted December 29th, 2022

I’d like to give myself a magic wand at this time of the year to grant wishes to those affected by cancer. This was a wish list I put together in 2015, yet it is still relevant. Maybe this will be the year my wishes come true! Here are my wishes for the upcoming year: […]


Prostate cancer: Lessons Learned from My Breast Cancer

Posted June 23rd, 2021

June is National Cancer Survivors Month! To honor survivors, we will be sharing stories from folks with cancer and their caregivers. Today we hear from our old friend, Bob. There aren’t too many people who’ve had both breast cancer and prostate cancer, but I’m one of them. The breast cancer appeared some 25 years ago. […]


Bob Riter

The Continuing Education of an Advocate

Posted July 11th, 2018

Many cancer survivors want to learn about cancer beyond what’s they’ve experienced first-hand. Further, they want to use that education to make a contribution to others affected by cancer. I’ve had the good fortune of attending several national cancer conferences in pursuit of that goal. In this article, I’ll describe my experiences with the programs […]


Bob Riter

No Right Way Through Cancer

Posted November 20th, 2017

I often say that there’s no single right way through cancer. What do I mean by that? Some people aggressively treat their cancers with surgery and chemotherapy long past the time that others would have switched to comfort measures. Some people keep their cancer diagnosis a secret from nearly everyone while others make it a […]


Bob Riter

Beginning A New Relationship After Cancer

Posted October 12th, 2017

It’s challenging to begin a new relationship after having had cancer. I’ve written about that as have many others. But what about the other partner in a new relationship – the one without cancer? One woman put it this way, “I feel like cancer is a member of his family. I want to understand and […]


Bob Riter

The Importance Of Caring In The Doctor’s Office

Posted September 25th, 2017

Cancer treatment involves operating rooms, chemotherapy protocols, and high tech radiation therapy equipment, all of which extend and improve the lives of people with cancer. But when I talk with people being treated for cancer, they don’t comment on the equipment or the science involved in their care. Rather, they focus on the quality of […]


Bob Riter

What To Say – And Not Say – To A Person With Cancer

Posted September 14th, 2017

Most people find it awkward when first talking with a friend or acquaintance who has just been diagnosed with cancer. Even though nearly everyone is well-intentioned, many say things that hurt or mystify more than they comfort. Based on my own experiences and my conversations with others with cancer, here are some suggestions: What to […]


Bob Riter

Crossing the Bridge from Early to Advanced Cancer

Posted August 30th, 2017

When you’re first diagnosed with cancer, you cross a bridge that separates the “healthy” from those with cancer. You’re entering a scary place, but the focus is on curing the cancer and getting back to the land of the healthy. There’s another bridge that’s less visible to the general public. This bridge separates people with […]


Bob Riter

The Post-Treatment Blahs

Posted August 22nd, 2017

For many people the months following cancer treatment are more difficult than the treatment itself.  During treatment, your “job” is to be in treatment. You’re busy with appointments and you see the same doctors and nurses almost every week. At the same time, friends bring you meals, family members take on extra duties, and you’re […]


Bob Riter

Practical Advice for Getting Second Opinions

Posted August 11th, 2017

 A woman recently diagnosed with cancer stopped by our office to say that she’s heard that it’s important to obtain second opinions from major cancer centers and to assemble a team of experts to provide her treatment. She asked, “How the hell do I do that?” Cancer guidebooks are full of grandiose suggestions like “assemble […]