Hello again my dear friend! I wasn’t sure exactly sure what our song selection would be, but I noticed a pattern.
Many of you had a difficult week.
From pain flares, financial issues, medication side effects, family/friend drama, a bad scan, loss of a pet (including myself), problems with work, fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, goodness gracious it’s been rough!
I remembered this song from the mid-2000’s and felt it was a good fit. Our song dedication tonight is Everything Is Alright by Motion City Soundtrack.
If you listen to the song, you hear about a person who is going through a lot and struggling. But you also see the self-convincing pep talks and reassuring that “everything is fine!” to others.
It’s okay if everything isn’t quite fine.
It’s important to me that you know I saw all your struggles this week , regardless of what they were. They are valid. You don’t need to tell me (or anyone else) that is everything’s fine. There are many days in our lives. Good ones, bad ones, and even the long boring ones. As this week comes to a close, I am hoping for a week filled with good ones for us all. I want to leave you with this thought:
Be gentle with yourself, you are doing the best you can.
I love you, remember that.
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of Alexa Loves AYA’s and spending part of your evening with me. Feel free to send a link or tag on social media if a loved one needs to hear this. I look forward to dedicating another song to you and expressing my more of heart next week! I can’t wait to visit with you again, dear friend.
Hey dear friend, I’m back! I’m sure you heard I was at the first ever Global Virtual Cancer Conference last Saturday. I had so much fun watching the conference at home and later being on the panel of a session called “So, You’ve Got The Good Cancer?” We talked all about the myths struggles of having a so called “good cancer” with plenty of jokes and laughs.
Missed GVCC 19? You can still attend! All sessions, booths, and clinical trial fairs will be online for 60 days after the conference. Go to gvcc19.com ! To view my session go to “Auditorium”, click the auditorium screen, click the “Live” tab, scroll down until you find our session (you will see the title, my picture and name) and click “Play” at the right hand corner.
With that in mind, I have chosen Like We Belong by Gawvi as our song dedication tonight!
Do you truly believe that your experience matters? Are you more intimidated to share your story next to more “famous” people in our community?
I want to shout something from the rooftops!
Celebrity has no room in advocacy or our community.
Don’t get mistaken, I am not referring to humble successful advocates or highly visible people who serve, they help so much! Not to mention they would tell you the exact same thing, they started off small too, after all. I love many of these folks. “Celebrity” is something else entirely, and you can usually tell. They don’t want to engage, they just want followers. They want perks, not work. Celebrity has ego, and they don’t want competition. They have friends (who are more like fans) that may even attack up-and-comers because they like the benefits they receive by association. Some groups might even be unwelcoming, forgetting that they were once outcasts before they found their friends.
Ignore these people, it’s just noise. I want to assure you that there is not only more than enough room for you, but we need you. We need your experience. Common cancer? So what! You had your own path. Rare disease? Absolutely!
Everyone’s experience matters, and that doesn’t come with an asterisk. That means EVERYONE’S!
We belong here, we belong TOGETHER!
You belong here. And if someone tells you otherwise, tell them Alexa has your back.
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of Alexa Loves AYA’s and spending part of your evening with me. Feel free to send a link or tag on social media if a loved one needs to hear this. I look forward to dedicating another song to you and expressing my more of heart next week! I can’t wait to visit with you again, dear friend.
You already know what time of the week it is. That’s right, It’s Alexa Loves AYA’s time!
As September comes to a close and we welcome October in, I have a few thoughts to share with you. September is an awareness month to so many important cancers! Childhood Cancer, Leukemia/Lymphoma, Gynecological Cancer (Cervical, Vaginal, Uterine/Endometrial, and Vulvar cancer), Ovarian Cancer, Prostate Cancer, and of course Thyroid Cancer.
ALL OF THESE MATTER! I’ve been so disappointed to see several retailers (large and small) jumping the gun on Breast Cancer awareness month (which is in October, of course) to make a profit without actually making a difference. I was contacted by several on Instagram trying to sell me things even though my bio states I deal with thyroid cancer. So obviously, it inspired me for our song tonight. I am dedicating She’s Not Just A Pretty Face by Shania Twain to you (if it’s your awareness month or not!).
Are you any of the things listed in this song? If not, it still applies to you! If you deal with any type of cancer or chronic health condition, you already know your advocacy isn’t only for one month or day. It’s every single day. And it’s not just with social media posts, clothing/accessories, or media. It’s at the doctor’s office standing up for yourself or educating a friend.
I love to remind you that you aren’t your diagnosis, but here is another reminder. Your condition is not your ribbon, color, or mascot. It’s your daily realities. Cancer or a chronic illness is not glamorous, cute, (that doesn’t mean you aren’t glamorous or cute!) or even palatable. It’s downright ugly. Don’t be afraid to be honest about that!
Ladies of all cancer types and ages, you are more than just a pretty face. You are not a commodity to profit off of. You make tangible changes in our world. I’m celebrating you tonight!
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of Alexa Loves AYA’s and spending part of your evening with me. Feel free to send a link or tag on social media if a loved one needs to hear this. I look forward to dedicating another song to you and expressing my more of heart next week! I can’t wait to visit with you again, dear friend.
I have a special edition of Alexa Loves AYA’s for you.
THIS DEDICATION AND INVITATION IS OPEN TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST AYA’S!
I was really, uh, I guess you could say “inspired” (cough) by a story I heard this week. It was a combination of cancer, ignorance, and sheer hilarity. Something we (and serious/chronic illness) know all too well. I picked out a song that was just as silly as those encounters are. It is Tacky by “Weird Al” Yankovic.
I want to call out those comments for what they are: TACKY! Easy Cancer?Tacky!You’re Lazy?Tacky!My Granny died from that?Tacky!Want this one weird trick in your DM’s that cures your cancer/illness?Tacky!Sending flowers and a 3 page letter to guilt a cancer patient? SUPER TACKY!! Just to name a few!
Unfortunately, I can’t take away these comments from you as much as I would like to for the both of us. But I CAN try to make you laugh and remember this song when they come! When people make comments that are usually hurtful or ignorant at the very least, please remember they are just as tacky the lyrics in this song AND the music video.
I want to hear about YOUR tacky comments/experiences! Let me know on Social Media or here on the blog.
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of Alexa Loves AYA’s and spending part of your evening with me. Feel free to send a link or tag on social media if a loved one needs to hear this. I look forward to dedicating another song to you and expressing my more of heart next week! I can’t wait to visit with you again, dear friend.
Welcome back to Alexa Loves AYA’s! You may have noticed my absence the last two weeks. I shared on social media that I had a gut punching loss in my life who was also a fellow member of the AYA community. I needed some time to pull myself together. I would like to thank you so much for all your support and love you’ve given me during this difficult time. I have a special edition of ALAYA’s in memory of him that I will post when I’m ready. Until then, here is what I’ve picked out tonight.
I have loved this band since I saw the amazing music video for their song Typical. I listen to them almost daily due to their unique sound. This song is also deeply personal to me as I will explain later on. The song I want to dedicate to you today, dear friend, is Joy Rides by MuteMath.
I know, I know. This could be a confusing song choice for you! From lines “It all went wrong today” and “the good news is probably worse” why oh why did you pick this song Alexa?? I was listening to Joy Rides when I filled out the new patient paperwork at MD Anderson Cancer Cancer. Getting diagnosed with cancer was difficult and I needed to embrace that instead of “fixing” it right away. But at the same time I still had reason to be hopeful, even if it wasn’t that day. Life IS messy. That is why I like this song. It isn’t all happy or all sad. It’s an acknowledgement of the sad night, but hope for the coming joyful morning.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been going through what feels like a long night. I started questioning if morning was actually coming. Since the loss I’ve been on the quiet side (not like myself), not wanting to laugh or have too much fun. And it’s my cancer awareness month! I’ve been frustrated at my lack of “productivity”. A wonderful quote I heard is that grief is confusing, and it is!Grief isn’t just exclusive to the loss of a person, but maybe a body part, fertility, ability, or any other loss that comes with cancer or a serious/chronic illness. I hope you know it’s okay to grieve and let yourself take the time you need, even if means slowing down during an “important” time. It’s also okay to get help when it gets too overwhelming.
The song reminds us that “morning’s gonna come”. You may not be in your morning yet, and still in “it all went wrong today” phase. Until morning comes, whatever that looks like for the both of us, I will be there hoping. May our joy rides come sooner than later!
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of Alexa Loves AYA’s and spending part of your evening with me. Feel free to send a link or tag on social media if a loved one needs to hear this. I look forward to dedicating another song to you and expressing my more of heart next week! I can’t wait to visit with you again, dear friend.
Welcome back to Alexa Loves AYA’s! Each week I dedicate a song to adolescent/young adults (AYA) with cancer or a serious/chronic illness and share some encouraging words along with it. I usually post on Saturday, but today is the two year anniversary of when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Texas. Since I am a patient at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, I wanted to share some thoughts about Harvey. I will be talking more about it tomorrow, but this song is also dedicated to the incredible people of Houston.
I have a real treat for you today! I actually just learned about this band. When I heard this song the first time I couldn’t help but think of AYA’s. It quickly became a personal anthem for me. My song for you today is “On The Inside” by GFM. They are a rock group made up of sisters. I know it may be more intense than you are used to, but give it a shot!
I love seeing metal screaming with their girly and glamorous look. They call it Beautycore!
I dedicate this song to you while you are in the process of rebuilding your life in the aftermath of your situation. I know cancer or illness is a hurricane that throws everything into chaos. Your job, education, relationships, social life and dreams. It doesn’t care! I remember visiting Houston for the first time after Hurricane Harvey. You could see how high the flooding hit. But what struck me the most was the trees and flowers lacked color, like their spirit was drained out with the water. I saw places I knew so well become empty with “Closed for Renovations. God Bless Houston!” signs on them. To say it was devastating doesn’t begin to do it justice.
Houston isn’t exactly the same as it was, but guess what? Those closed establishments came back with booming business. The water finally dried out. Color returned to nature after all. I don’t know what rebuilding your life looks like for you. It could be anything from trying to get your pain under control in daily life or picking up where you left off in school for your career dreams. I want you to know that I believe in you as much as I believed in Houston! I believe you ARE rebuilding. While It might look different than your previous life did, I believe you will survive the challenge of putting things back together in a way that works for you. There IS so much left to your story, even with the new found physical and emotional scars. If it helps to scream this song in the mirror as a reminder, go for it! I’m in the process of rebuilding my own life right beside you. We will get through this!
FYI: GFM has some fun vlogs from touring that you might enjoy watching if you are bored at the hospital or can’t sleep. You can check them out at their YouTube page.
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of the Alexa Loves AYA’s and spending part of your evening with me. Feel free to send a link or tag on social media if a loved one needs to hear this. I look forward to dedicating another song to you and expressing my more of heart next week! I can’t wait to visit with you again, dear friend.
My dear friend, there you are again! Welcome back to Alexa Loves AYA’s. I’m so glad you came back to visit me.
I have a song for you that was super popular in the early 2000’s. Have you heard it before? If not, let me introduce you to tonight’s song, The Middle by Jimmy Eat World.
Have other people written you off? Even worse, have you written yourself off? Do you believe it’s over for you? I want to encourage you today and share why I don’t think that’s true! Here is a thought I want to share:
Labels can be painfully accurate about someone’s past while missing their future by a mile.
Let’s make a quick edit to that:
A diagnosis can be painfully accurate about someone’s past or current abilities while missing their future by a mile.
I am confident that no matter what you still have something to give, even if it looks different than you had imagined. I understand that your dreams may have required modifications or were forced to change entirely. You are not disqualified! Although you might not be there right now, please don’t write yourself off yet! Here is a good perspective I learned: Everybody has to face this in life eventually. You are just in the middle of figuring out what’s next and it takes some time. I am really looking forward to what you will achieve dear friend, and don’t forget about me when you get there!
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of Alexa Loves AYA’s and spending part of your evening with me. Feel free to send a link or tag on social media if a loved one needs to hear this. I look forward to dedicating another song to you and expressing more of my heart next week! I can’t wait to visit with you again, dear friend.
Welcome back to Alexa Loves AYA’s! Tonight is interesting because while I have ONE song dedication for you, I have TWO versions. Since AYA’s are a wide age demographic (15-39), and I include former AYA’s too, I wanted to provide an option for either spectrum you’re on.
Tonight’s song is True Colors by Cyndi Lauper (original) and a cover by Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick from the Trolls soundtrack. I personally grew up hearing Phil Collins’ cover on the radio. If that’s your jam, by all means, pull it up!
Do you get more questions about your diagnosis than about what you’re up to? Have you dealt with whispers of “Hey, it’s them. They have___.” while they forget you’re an actual person? I have!
I want to make a quick note on this, most people DO(usually)mean well! They care enough about you to ask, but sometimes they lack the self awareness to realize that it appears it’s all they care about. Others may not understand how off the balance is between talking about your diagnosis and talking about YOU! They are two separate things.
You aren’t your IV drip, mini home pharmacy, body part loss, or whatever else you can think of! You are how your eyes light up when you’re happy. You are how giddy you get geeking out over your interests. You are how you like your coffee or tea a certain way. You are how you gently love on a furry friend. You are how kind you treat the ones you love. None of that has anything to do with your diagnosis! These are your TRUE COLORS!
Dear friend, I want to encourage you this week to let your true colors show. Like redirecting a conversation from your diagnosis to something you’re interested in, or a project you’re working on. Don’t be afraid to take the spotlight off that topic and shift it back to who you really are and what you enjoy. The world makes us all crazy at times, but know I will continue to be here and see your true colors.
Thanks for coming to Alexa loves AYA’s and spending part of your evening with me. Feel free to send a link or tag on social media if a loved one needs to hear this. I look forward to dedicating another song to you and expressing more of my heart next week! I can’t wait to visit with you again, dear friend.
Welcome to our debut of Alexa loves AYA’s! What on earth is going on? Great question!
Do you remember song dedication radio programs? I love listening to them. Yes, they are still around! I’m always curious why people connect with certain songs and enjoy hearing the stories they share. But, there is just one thing…have you ever secretly wished you would hear a familiar voice call in and dedicate a song for you? I know I have! Guess what?
THE WAIT IS OVER!
If you are part of the adolescent/young adult (known as AYA, ages 15-39) family current or former, either by cancer or chronic illness, I will be dedicating a song just for YOU! I will also add in a few words to hopefully provide some encouragement. I am going to be dedicating songs you might not normally hear in this context, so plan to be surprised!
Ideally, I wish we could have at least a whole hour together. I would love for you to call in with your thoughts, questions, stories, tests results, and song dedications of your own. While I am not the Delilah of the community, I realized I have a blog and can start here. It is so important to me that you know you are valued. I care about you deeply.
Lets get to it guys! Our first song making it’s debut on our program (yes, it’s okay to giggle) is Super Cool by Beck featuring Robyn and The Lonely Island. This was on the credits for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. I went to see it with my brother earlier this year and we both enjoyed the song. I have provided the adorable lyric video they created so you can enjoy the song and have something fun to watch!
I want you to know that…
YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE
YOU ARE SUPER COOL
YOU ARE OUTRAGEOUS
YOU ARE AMAZING
YOU ARE PHENOMENAL
YOU ARE FANTASTIC
YOU ARE SO INCREDIBLE
WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!
This lyric is about you. I know people don’t understand what you go through on a daily basis and unfortunately they probably never will. But I see you! I’m so proud of you for keeping on even when it was and is SO HARD. Like that time you were up all night with scanxiety. Or when you didn’t want to do your treatments due to the side effects. You don’t have to be an inspiration to me or anybody else, that’s not the point. We both understand you had no choice. While unfortunately you may continue to face challenges, you are everything said in this song and more! You are certainly SUPER COOL right now, even during the times when you feel like you aren’t. We all have those days!
Thanks for tuning in to this edition of the new Alexa loves AYA’s and spending part of your evening with me. Feel free to send a link or tag on social media if a loved one needs to hear this. I look forward to dedicating another song to you and expressing my more of heart next week! I can’t wait until we meet again dear friend.
Last week I ventured to part of the hospital that I have zero experience in, and I have been to several areas. From getting my Thyrogen injections at outpatient chemo to reconstructive surgery, my MD Anderson passport is filled with many stamps to say the least. Sure, I passed by this clinic briefly when my endocrine oncology surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Grubbs was part time at Flex Clinic / Gastroenterology. Going in is completely different. Where am I talking about? The Robin Bush Child and Adolescent Clinic.The AYA clinic is located here, think of it like a clinic in a clinic.
Here I am outside of the clinic.
I have been a patient at MD Anderson since 2017. The AYA clinic opened in 2018. I am writing this in 2019. I attended the 2019 MD Anderson Young Adult Conferenceand was able to meet some of the staff there. I requested a consult from my awesome oncologist Dr. Jeena Varghese at my home clinic Endocrine Center. She was more than happy to refer me and we discussed some AYA related issues. The referral is painless, they just put in the system and it will get scheduled. I had to reschedule for a month later but they could have seen me that week.
Now, if you are on the pediatric side of MD Anderson, just skip ahead. You already know what I’m about to explain. I’m talking to you: adult side of AYA!* I’m not trying to scare you, but to prepare you. My dear adult side, you know MD Anderson. Its formulaic to say the least. And if we are being completely honest here, it’s almost comforting. You could go to any clinic any pretty much know how it goes, with the exception of unfamiliar imaging or procedures. Even my two surgeries were nearly identical. Darling adult side…throw that out. THROW IT OUT I SAID. There will be a new waiting room just for us very soon, but until then your girl is going to walk you through this. We are a team after all.
(* In the AYA community, we use the terms “pediatric side” (treated at pediatrics with children) or “adult side” (treated at “adult” clinics with significantly older patients) to identify where we are treated. This is a complicated issue because where you are sent for treatment varies by hospital and even cancer type within the same hospital. Until AYA’s have our own clinics/hospital floors we will continue to use this identifier.)
You will walk into the clinic for check in. Do not let the noise fear you, this assures that you are in the correct place. BE STRONG! There is no iPad/electronic sign in. Instead, there is a table in the front area to the right with paper slips that you will fill out and return to the front desk. I suffer from chronic directional issues so it took me more times than I would like to admit to find this table. This is a me problem, not clinic issue. Thank you front desk staff for loving me through that challenging time. I filled out my paper slip (essentially what you would do on iPad) and returned to the front desk. I sat down on significantly more comfortable seating than in any adult clinic I have been in. Those couch things are NICE.
I was called up to the front to get my wristband, be prepared to answer more infection control related questions than you do in adult outpatient. They will be talking at a much higher volume than you are used to. They are not yelling at you, this is the default tone because the clinic is loud. Unlike adult side, your band will get a sticker. I know that is so small, but it made me so happy all day! I wish adult outpatients would do that, and boy I have some ideas. If you go to radiology you could get glow sticker. Or a ribbon sticker for whatever home clinic is. Make this happen guys!
My patient wristband with sticker!
My dear adult side, your waiting room experience will be much different. You will get a concert experience from the xylophones. Nurses may come out chasing down patients. Names may be screamed. Random shouts of joy will come from the playroom. You aren’t in Kansas anymore, baby. But, there is something wonderful in knowing that MD Anderson has a completely different universe tucked away. I say embrace it! I would have NEVER experienced this in my cancer care and now I feel more connected to my pediatric side AYA’s. In some way this brought a much needed balance of youth to my sterile 50-and-up cancer experience. I look forward to returning. I wanted to let you know this if you are prone to anxiety at noise or chaos, which I respect. But good news: you probably won’t have to wait long at all! You heard me. Your wait at pediatrics will be NOTHING compared to what I KNOW you have experienced in adult land.
Rest easy though, your waiting room paper work is exactly the same as adult. You will be called back to the vitals room. Go ahead and take your shoes off (why don’t we do this in adult?) since they will request it. It will be typical MD Anderson vitals but your height will be checked too for the ~full pediatric experience~. You will go back to a exam room while passing by colorful walls and adorable art work. In Pedi-Land your name will be on a dry erase board on the door of your exam room. And wouldn’t you know, they had “Alexa” in a beautiful purple color waiting for me. Who found out my favorite color (I will nominate you for a STAR award)??
The nurse will ask you the typical MD Anderson clinic visit questions you are used to, but I was asked several additional questions related to symptoms/side effects. You got this! They will apologize for the “wait” you are about to have of maybe 5 minutes. What on earth? Do you not know I have waited 5 hours to see a doctor before?? Gosh.
On your MyChart you will see 3 things scheduled. 1. Main AYA Provider (This will either be Dr. Michael Roth or Dr. John Livingston) 2. AYA Social Work Consult (I believe they have a few social workers so this might vary? I am not completely sure.) 3. I forget exactly how this was listed in MyChart, I think AYA Vocational Consult? Who you will see for that is Sandra Medina-George. Pay no attention to the order scheduled, it doesn’t matter. You will be in the same room and they will come in and out whenever they are available. Since I am telling you my experience, I will share in the order I had:
Vocational Consult with Sandra Medina-George: I have on a very high up and credible anonymous source that Ms. Sandra is so beloved that she is not allowed to retire. In fact, if cloning becomes commonplace I assume the AYA clinic will attempt this instead of hiring someone else. She can help with anything career related, including helping you find a first career or with a career change. She can also help with finding a university or with AYA related university issues. I learned about some testing that I will do at a later time. She also educated me and answered questions on career and education. I really enjoyed our visit and look forward with working with her so I can live my best life. Trust me: she won’t judge you. This is a safe place to talk about your goals and where you have been or are, even if you aren’t happy with where things are right now.
Social Work: I will leave out name since it is not listed on the AYA clinic page and do not know if identification would be an issue. She was incredible and I gained a lot out of this. I learned about resources I was unaware of, and the best part? I got a question answered that bothered me on a daily basis. I think I was too scared to ask anybody before but she answered it. I am happy to report that I can state that I am still on active treatment for cancer vs saying it’s complicated and blabbering on. I told my family when I got home that this was one of the best parts of my visit. You will still have your home clinic social worker, but now you have two!
Consult with Dr. Michael Roth: I really enjoyed meeting with Dr. Roth. He is warm and compassionate. He deeply understands AYA issues and was very reassuring/encouraging to me. It was Jamaican chicken soup (my favorite chicken soup) for the AYA soul. I am intentionally leaving this open ended because your medical consult will vary GREATLY depending on your diagnosis. But, I’m your thyroid cancer gal and I will say he was great for thyroid cancer. Endocrine Center, refer with confidence! I will also go out and co-sign Dr. Livingston here. He spoke at the conference and seems just as committed to the cause. I really believe you will be in excellent hands with either doctor.
I left with lots of papers, resources,and my love tank filled. I want to make something very clear: You are welcome here! I NEVER felt less than due to being a thyroid cancer patient by anyone! I feel Dr. Roth was just as concerned about me as I assume he would with any other cancer type.Point goes to AYA clinic.
If you are an AYA, REGARDLESS OF CANCER TYPE, you need to go. If you are an AYA on the adult side, YOU REALLY, REALLY, REALLLLLLLLLYYYY NEED TO GO!
Let me answer some questions:
I got diagnosed with cancer and I’m overwhelmed just looking at my MD Anderson appointment schedule. Is it worth adding the additional visit at AYA to the chaos that is my new patient life? YES, YES, AND YES! Take this from somebody on adult side for 2 years with no previous AYA support. If you have the opportunity to go as a new patient RUN, don’t walk, to this clinic. If I had this option my cancer adventure would have been completely different. Start yours off this way instead.
But Alexa, my cancer is/was being treated just fine in adult land, do I really need to go? YES! ESPECIALLY YOU! You saw me state I have the best oncologist ever earlier in my post, right? And I’m saying you need to go! You keep your oncology team, this is supportive care. You will benefit greatly.
I didn’t see anything in your post that would help me, why should I go? Because, this was my appointment. This is so hyper tailored that we could have completely different visits even if the formula is the same. I bet if you asked the staff they would probably tell you the same thing. I genuinely believe you can gather some benefit from a visit even if I didn’t cover it. Go.
I’m on the pediatric side, can they help me too? Okay, I can’t answer this 100% because I don’t know what you are offered by default on the pediatric side, but I’m going to say yes. There is so much they can do I don’t see why they can’t help. I will probably ask someone there for a better answer to this question.
(Any possible question I didn’t answer here), should I still go? Yes. I cannot think of a situation where I would say nah, don’t go. This clinic is incredible and my only complaint is I could not see them when I was diagnosed.
I am so glad MD Anderson is leading the way with the AYA clinic and it is my sincere hope that AYA’s will have this experience wherever they were treated in the future. I will report back to my home clinic on my positive experience and hopefully help other adult side endocrine AYA’s by doing so!