Alma Faz - The Race Of Her Life

The term “handicapped” is no longer considered politically correct, but, in any case, it would be a misnomer for Alma Faz, an amputee and computed tomography technologist at MD Anderson.

Faz was a freshman in college when she was diagnosed simultaneously with boneand ovarian cancers.

In March 1998, she had three cycles of chemotherapy, which did not treat the bone tumor. Subsequently, she had to undergo surgery to amputate her right leg.

“I’d always been outgoing and motivated. Suddenly, there were a lot of ‘I can’ts,’” Faz recalls. “It was a very trying time at that age. You’re finding out who you are, and that was interrupted for me.”

Her treatment ended in summer 1998, and she has remained completely cancer-free.

Getting on with life

It’s been more than 15 years since her leg was amputated. In this time, Faz has achieved much in both her personal and professional lives. “The doctor said I would have no limits,” Faz recalls. “I can run. I can bike. I can ski. I can do anything I set my mind to.” She has participated in five half-marathons and run more than 1,100 miles in the last two years. She is now ready to begin training for her first triathlon.

During her treatment, Faz fell in love with radiology and decided to pursue it as a career. “My goal was always to work for MD Anderson,” she says. In August 2008, she graduated from MD Anderson’s School of Health Professions with a bachelor’s degree in diagnostic imaging. She specializes in using computerized tomography (CT) scanners that help diagnose patients’ medical condition by producing cross-section images of internal organs and tissues.

Faz, who feels that she wouldn't be where she is today if it weren't for MD Anderson and her large support network, says that she needed a special way to thank her heroes. She is one of the original members of MD Anderson’s Young Adult Advisory Council, a group of young cancer survivors dedicated to sharing opinions and ideas to help other patients.

Although she is cured, she realizes that someone else’s story is just beginning. As such, she hopes that her efforts and contributions will positively impact others.

“I have no limitations,” Faz tells other patients. “I can do anything I put my mind to, so can you.”

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Healthy dining options at MD Anderson

By Joey Tran, MD Anderson Staff Writer

Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer and other diseases, according to the American Cancer Society. Making healthy food choices may also help you maintain a healthy weight and keep your body in fighting shape if you do have cancer.

However, making healthy choices can be challenging when you're dining out. That's especially true if you're eating here at MD Anderson, when you already have many other things on your mind.

To make the best out of your healthy dining experience at MD Anderson, Ashley Smith, health and wellness manager of the department of Dining Services, has provided the following smart-eating strategies.

Plan ahead
Plan to visit dining locations that have healthy items you enjoy. Look for these healthy options at the following cafés:

• Café Anderson, located at Main Building, floor 1, near the Café Corner, R1.2351: Power plate, Be Well plate, Cooking Light, sandwich and salad bars
• Waterfall Café, located at Mays Clinic, floor 2, near the Tree Sculpture, ACB2.2402: Be Well plate, Cooking Light and salad bar 
• Cool Beans Bakery and Café, located at Duncan Building, floor 2, near Elevator Q, CPB2.3050: Sandwich and salad bar
• Lantern Café, located at Pickens Tower, floor 3, near Elevator N: Be Well plate, Cooking Light, sandwich and salad bars

Always evaluate how hungry you are and plan to eat accordingly. If you want a light lunch, consider an à la carte item or a small soup and side salad. If ordering a full meal, plan to save some leftovers for later.

Consider the menu
MD Anderson cafés offer plenty of items to help you achieve a balanced diet by including foods from all the different food groups: meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables and grains. Consider the following options:

• The Be Well plate from Café Anderson, Waterfall Café and Lantern Café offers a protein, starch and vegetable option for 400-600 calories per plate. Be Well options are sold as a plate and à la carte.
• Cooking Light from Café Anderson, Waterfall Café and Lantern Café offers a wide variety of tastes and textures including lean sources of protein, whole grains and an array of vegetables. Cooking Light options are sold as a plate and à la carte.
• The Power Plate from Café Anderson is loaded with nutrients and has minimal added fat, sodium or sugar. The Power Plate is sold as a meal; à la carte is not currently available.
• For sandwiches, choose whole wheat bread or wraps and top with vegetables like lettuce, tomato and onion. Select lean deli meats over mayo-based chicken and tuna salads, and add low-calorie condiments like mustard in place of mayo or other creamy dressings. 
• For a healthy salad, include dark leafy greens and top with a wide variety of non-starchy vegetables. Add lean proteins like grilled chicken, flaked tuna, tofu or beans and healthy fats like avocadoes, nuts, seeds or olive oil based salad dressing; however, always keep your portion sizes in check. Any salad toppings that aren't vegetables - including cheese, croutons, dried cranberries and creamy salad dressings - can quickly add-on extra calories. Instead, aim for at least 2/3 of your salad to be vegetables.

Choose foods carefully

• Choose à la carte options that create healthy meal combinations. Instead of macaroni and cheese or French fries, choose healthier sides like steamed vegetables, a small salad with low-fat dressing or fresh fruit.
• When ordering at MD Anderson, review the menu tags, which include nutrition facts and Just4U nutrition symbols to help you make healthy choices. Just4U symbols show which foods are low fat, calories, sodium and carbohydrates, as well as those that are vegetarian and/or prepared with healthier cooking methods. Ask for a guide to help clarify which nutrition symbols are right "Just4U."
• Areas in the café like the sandwich and salad bars also have nutrition information posted.  To make the healthiest selections, review this nutrition information closely before building your sandwich or salad.
• When choosing your beverage, plain water is the healthiest option. If you insist on something else, opt for drinks like low-sugar teas, flavored waters, and low-fat or skim milk that all have less than 100 calories per serving.

Remember, making healthy choices is a choice. By choosing from our restaurants' healthy offerings, you can enjoy a high-quality meal at MD Anderson without abandoning healthy eating. 

 

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The Swing of Life

Eddy Davis would have enjoyed teaching golf no matter what. But he has an appreciation for life, and health, that few pros can understand.

Since becoming a golf professional in 1994, Eddy Davis has excelled as a published golf illustrator and tournament calligrapher, an avid golfer who considers himself the "resident artist" at the Jimmy Clay-Roy Kizer Golf Complex in Austin, Texas.

Fear and questions
When he faced a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma in 2003, he feared the unknown and had thousands of questions for his doctors. His golfing buddies. His wife. And himself.

But no one ever questioned the courage and determination that continues to prove the experts wrong.

Davis soon started extensive cycles of radiation, followed by chemotherapy. It was 2003. His second child had just been born; he and his wife also had a five-year-old.

In 2009, the cancer cells had started spreading toward Davis' brain. His oncologist in Austin felt that he had exhausted his options there and that his only chance would be to seek the assistance of specialists at MD Anderson.

After treatment with high-dose chemotherapy, the doctors at MD Anderson decided that Davis' only option was a stem cell transplant. Davis was assigned to Borje Andersson, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.

It was successful.

"I was driven to live a life that I never expected," Davis recalls. "I wasn't supposed to see 41 when I was diagnosed at age 40. And I certainly wasn't supposed to see 46. And it was unheard of that I'm even seeing 50. But here I am."

Care and compassion combat cancer
Davis attributes his survival to the support of not only his family and the golf community, but also to all the doctors and nurses at MD Anderson who were there for him.

Negativities and depression that come with a cancer diagnosis are mentally and physically challenging. Davis remembers reaching a point when he wanted to give up and let cancer do its thing. An inpatient nurse told him after one of the lengthy self-pity moments: "Son, you'll have to cowboy up. Stay positive and look forward to what's next, not just cancer treatment ... your wife and children."

Davis believes several factors helped him beat cancer: sound nutrition, frequent exercise, friendship, a solid medical team and the love of the people around him.

"In my life, I've been through peaks and valleys," Davis says. "From being in the lowest part of my life, to almost breaths away from death, to getting out on the golf course, to seeing my child taking his first steps and being able to encourage other cancer patients - that would be the epitome of life. This is the greatest situation I can ever have."

After cancer, a changed man
Prior to the diagnosis, his career was first. "I was self-centered," he says.

During the treatment, his career was important, but not fulfilling. After the treatment and recovery, he has come to realize that the people he worked with are some of the most beautiful people he knows.

"I was fortunate to have the support of my family and the local golf community," Davis says. "I have a newfound love for my family, my profession and the people I serve. I am a public servant who has come to cherish the beauty and power of the human spirit."

Continuing to manage, teach and illustrate golf, Davis is playing the best game of his life. He has been working since his stem cell transplant, as his health continues to improve and his physical and mental achievements seem to be progressing nicely.

"Sometimes there isn't anything you can do, but good faith and support from the people around you can really have a tremendous effect on any adversity, whether it is cancer or any other challenge that you might face," Davis says.

Read more about Davis and much more in the spring issue of Conquest magazine. 

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Fertility and Cancer: Understanding Your Options

What it means to survive cancer today is very different from 20 or even 10 years ago.

Back then, doctors and patients approached cancer like a monster to be slain; surviving was the only goal.

But as cancer treatments have improved, young cancer patients have begun demanding more than just survival. They want to lead normal lives.

They want to have babies.

Yet, depending on the treatment, curing cancer can reduce patients' chances of having children or erase them entirely. Infertility is a possibility faced by at least 10% of the 1.4 million Americans under age 40 who find out each year that they have cancer.

Many are not informed about ways to safeguard their fertility.

The challenges of fertility education

Some patients worry that efforts to protect their fertility will delay cancer treatment. Others don't know exactly what their options are. 

Most hospitals that treat cancer neither offer fertility counseling nor have reproductive oncologists who can help. And, in most cancer centers, it's not clear who's responsible for handling fertility questions- the oncologists? The surgeons? 

"It falls through the cracks," says Terri Woodard, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at MD Anderson. "If patients say they don't care about that right now, they just want to get rid of the cancer, they need to be told that in five years they may feel differently. They should at least be informed."

Some types of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, may cause temporary or permanent infertility. 

These side effects are related to a number of factors, including the patient's age at time of treatment, the specific type and dose of radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy, and length of time since treatment.

When cancer or its treatment can potentially cause infertility or sexual dysfunction, every effort should be made to inform and educate the patient about this possibility. 

When the patient is a child, this can be difficult. The child may be too young to understand issues involving infertility and reproduction, or parents may choose to shield the child from these issues.

Fertility options for cancer patients

Patients who are concerned about the effects of cancer treatment on their ability to have children should discuss this with their doctor before treatment. The doctor can recommend a counselor or fertility specialist who can discuss options and help patients and their partners through the decision-making process. 

Options may include freezing sperm, eggs, embryos or ovarian/testicular tissue before treatment.

For men, the solution is usually as simple as freezing sperm, but fertility preservation in women is far more complex. 

Depending on how quickly doctors need to forge ahead with cancer treatment, a woman can choose to harvest and freeze either eggs or embryos (assuming she has access to sperm). The procedure takes approximately two weeks.

But that time can be reduced to one hour with ovarian tissue cryopreservation. With this cutting-edge technique, an ovary or a piece of one is laparoscopically removed and frozen before cancer therapy, then transplanted once a woman decides she wants to get pregnant. 

Doctors have been studying this procedure for at least a decade, but it has only recently begun yielding results. To date, more than a dozen live births have been reported from transplanted frozen ovarian tissue.

Other alternatives include ovarian tissue freezing and ovarian transposition. Women may undergo surgery to protect the ovaries by moving them out of the field of radiation.

What you can do to protect your fertility

While not all patients are at risk, be sure to speak with your doctor about whether you should be concerned about infertility before starting cancer treatment. Use these questions to guide your conversation:

• Will my cancer treatment affect my fertility, either temporarily or permanently?
• What are my options to preserve my fertility before, during or after my cancer treatment
• What is the best option for me, given my cancer type and treatment?
• When might it be safe for me to start a family after my cancer treatment?

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