Biba, a resident of Sacramento for 35 years, will be visiting with patients at Sutter Cancer Center to share her experiences with breast cancer, offer important nutritional tips and demonstrate some of her favorite recipes, designed to meet the unique needs of those undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Biba's husband, Dr. Vincent Caggiano, a well-respected oncologist at Sutter Cancer Center, will also offer words of advice from both a physician's and a caregiver's perspective.
Side effects of chemotherapy can make it difficult for cancer patients to follow life's most basic routines. Nausea, loss of appetite and altered ability to taste can make getting proper nutrition a daily challenge, but other side effects pose challenges, as well. Anemia affects up to two-thirds of all chemotherapy patients, which could potentially leave them feeling tired and weak. Many patients don't mention these symptoms to their doctors, because they expect to be tired while undergoing chemotherapy and are unaware that treatments are available for their anemia. Strength for Living is a resource designed to help cancer patients overcome challenges, such as anemia, and return to doing the things they love.
"I want to encourage other people who are facing chemotherapy to take back as much of their lives as possible -- even with something as simple as being able to enjoy meals with their loved ones, " said Biba.
