Eight months after his last update, stage 4 head & neck cancer survivor Don Jackson & his wife Ann are sharing an update. Their news is a reminder that survivorship is a series of chapters. Read more: https://ow.ly/ZaTm50XLbC4 #CancerSurvivorship #PatientStories #CaregiverVoices #SmartPatients

On the winter solstice, the light starts returning, one day at a time. Here’s to longer days, gentler moments, and the warmth of a community that knows how to carry each other. If you need connection and a little bit of brightness today, we’re here: www.smartpatients.com #WinterSolstice #HopeGrows

Two fathers. Two children. Two diagnoses that changed everything. This season, we’re sharing the story of Jeff and Oded. Read more: https://ow.ly/pTXz50XKnbV Thank you Children’s Alopecia Project and MyChild’sCancer for giving the gift of knowledge and connection. #ChildhoodIllness

Have you ever heard of Look for an Evergreen Day? Turns out, it’s today! Evergreens offer signs of life and resilience even in the deepest winter. So if you pass by one today, take note of its beauty and hope it helps you to keep going.

Podcasting opens a new way for patients to share their stories. We asked three Smart Patients what it was like to record their first-ever podcast. The result? Great advice so we turned it into a free “Patient Advocate Podcast Toolkit:” XXXX #PodcastToolkit #PatientAdvocacy

One simple question turned into sharing meaningful moments. A hawk eating figs. A grandchild’s laugh. A pain-free morning. A cat sleeping on your lap. This is what joy looks like to Smart Patients. What does it look like to you? Read I Am… Finding Delight : https://ow.ly/ZhRQ50XJzAk #FindingJoy

Starting tomorrow! Smart Patients is hosting an Ask the Expert with Dr. Dale Shepard from the Cleveland Clinic from Dec 16–18, 2025 on desmoid tumors. Learn more by signing up at https://www.smartpatients.com/communities/desmoid-tumor #DesmoidTumor #RareDisease #ClinicalTrials #PatientEducation

Wishing a bright and peaceful first night of Hanukkah to all who celebrate. May your week be filled with warmth, connection, and moments of joy. And if you’re carrying something heavy this season, we’re here to hold the light with you. Join us: www.smartpatients.com #Hanukkah #SmartPatients

What brings you joy on a hard day? Each December, Smart Patients members share the small moments that keep them going. When one person shares delight, it multiplies. Read this & tell us what lifts you up: https://ow.ly/Ej8A50XGWTV #DecemberReflections #HolidaySeason #SmartPatients

“Something isn’t right.” For many pancreatic cancer patients, that’s where the story begins. Read our latest ATE summarizing the discussion held with Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and Dr. Efrat Dotan from Penn Medicine to learn more. https://ow.ly/rh6g50XHvVZ

The holidays look different when you’re living with Crohn’s or colitis. While others reach for seconds, some of us reach for ginger tea, soft foods, or quiet corners where our bodies can keep up. Read more: https://ow.ly/fc5v50XFIns #CrohnsAndColitisAwarenessWeek #IBDCommunity #SmartPatients

Cancer takes something invisible but essential: trust. Trust in your body. Trust in the future. Trust in what comes next. Where do you go to rebuild trust when cancer breaks it? #CancerIsScary #PatientCommunity #SmartPatients

Curious about new treatments or clinical trials for desmoid tumors? Join us for our Ask the Expert session, Dec 16–18, to learn more from our expert, Dr. Dale Shepard. To protect patient privacy, you’ll need to sign in through this link: https://www.smartpatients.com/communities/desmoid-tumor

Safe travels to everyone heading to the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), especially Smart Patients CEO, Kathryn Burn. We cannot wait to hear what you learn. If you’re attending, let's connect in person. What sessions are you most excited about? #SABCS #SmartPatients

Our partners at Debbie's Dream Foundation are hosting 2 webinars this week. 1) A live cooking demonstration: https://ow.ly/s1U150XARLP 2) A webinar with Dr. Monika Laszkowska of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to explore early detection and prevention: https://ow.ly/neaw50XARLM

For #Crohn’sAndColitisAwarenessWeek, we’re sharing an honest story from a member who has lived with Crohn’s for 30 years. She has some good tips to share. Read the story and feel better this season: https://ow.ly/JnPZ50XAop9#Crohn’sAndColitisAwarenessWeek #SmartPatients #CrohnsDisease #UlcerativeColitis #IBDCommunity

Did you know that when it comes to autoimmune disease, what’s around us — from air and water to diet and daily habits — can make a difference? The Autoimmune Association has put together a powerful collection of educational resources exploring exactly that. https://ow.ly/z5ml50XA78A #SmartPatients

How do you navigate #GERD when symptoms flare during the holiday season? Our latest story shares experiences & the small, evidence-based habits that help members manage GERD: https://ow.ly/GaGp50XA1TQ What foods, routines, tips, & mindsets have helped you the most? Tell us: www.smartpatients.com

International Day of Persons with Disabilities reminds us that: Support shouldn’t depend on ability. Belonging shouldn’t have conditions. Every voice matters. At #SmartPatients, we’re proud to be a place where people can show up as they are. #IDPD2025 #AccessibilityMatters

Happy Giving Tuesday to our incredible partners who fuel awareness, research, support, & connection across so many conditions. Today, we’re celebrating you & all you do to make healthcare more compassionate & human. Keep going. We’re right beside you. #GivingTuesday #SmartPatients

This story on antibiotic resistance follows a woman whose “simple UTI” spiraled into years of surgeries, IV infusions, & drug-resistant infections. Her message is clear: do your part to protect the antibiotics that still work. https://ow.ly/foJR50XuVU6 #AntibioticResistance #SmartPatients

Our new feature lifts the curtain on caregivers’ real experiences. Caregivers often sacrifice their sleep, career, health, and identity. Thank you to the Family Caregiver Alliance for all you've done this #NationalFamilyCaregiversMonth. https://ow.ly/6t4550XwTW5

Did you know GERD affects about 1 in 5 adults and symptoms often spike during the holidays? In our new story for #GERDAwarenessWeek, Smart Patients members share what GERD feels like & strategies that help. If you or someone you love lives with GERD, read more: https://ow.ly/b96V50Xxv2C#GERDAwarenessWeek

Did family health history come up around the Thanksgiving table yesterday? Family stories are clues that can guide testing, prevention, & earlier diagnosis. If your family has questions about genetics or risks, join Smart Patients: www.smartpatients.com #FamilyHealthHistory #SmartPatients

What are you most thankful for this year? Is it the progress you’ve made, the people beside you, or the strength you didn’t know you had? At Smart Patients, we’re thankful for you. A heartfelt Happy Thanksgiving from all of us. #SmartPatients #Thanksgiving #PatientVoices #Community

Stomach cancer doesn’t strike one age, one risk group, or one life stage. This #StomachCancerAwarenessMonth, we’re honoring every story, generation, and step forward with our partners: Debbie's Dream Foundation, Gastric Cancer Foundation, and Hope for Stomach Cancer. https://ow.ly/vLWj50XwS0o

Most caregivers work the equivalent of two full-time jobs with zero pay and almost no support. Read the story everyone should see: Invisible Patients: What Caregivers Wish the World Understood https://ow.ly/muZE50XwRXV

Today is the last day of Antibiotic Awareness Week. Antibiotics are a shared resource and protecting them starts with learning from each other. Read “Antibiotics: A Shared Responsibility” https://ow.ly/JoLz50XumR8 Join the conversation in www.smartpatients.com. #AntibioticAwarenessWeek

Stomach cancer crosses generations and so does the hope for better treatments. This month, we highlight the voices of our Smart Patients community & #ASCO2025 research on gastric cancer care. Read: I Am…22 to 89: https://ow.ly/lKST50XuVvL#ASCO2025 #StomachCancerAwarenessMonth #SmartPatients

As we head into Thanksgiving week, may we all pause to notice the small things — the messy kitchens, the loud laughter, the quiet moments that make it all worth it. Gratitude isn’t just a holiday; it’s a practice of being here. What’s one small moment you’re grateful for right now? #SmartPatients

Rare cancers bring rare questions. We invite you to learn more and read today: https://research.smartpatients.com/resources/i-am-choosing-when-to-act-s4kxa Thank you to our partner, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network for all you do, especially on #WorldPancreatic CancerDay.

Did you know that about 20% of lung cancer cases occur in people who have never smoked? Let’s focus on awareness, early detection, and compassion this #LungCancerAwarenessMonth. Join the conversation: https://www.smartpatients.com/communities/lung-cancer#LungCancerAwarenessMonth #SmartPatients

Ever wonder why the same antibiotic works great once, and barely at all the next time? That’s why antibiotic awareness matters — because keeping them effective takes all of us. How do you keep track of yours? #AntibioticAwarenessWeek #SmartPatients

Ever heard of PNETs? Most people haven’t, until they do. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are rare, complex, & often misunderstood. Inside the Smart Patients PNETs community, you’ll find people who understand. Join them through our PanCAN partner page: https://ow.ly/Mjrl50X8Atc

It’s not often we get to share an opportunity to join a film screening & a live Q&A with the filmmaker! Our partners at Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) are hosting a special event on Tuesday, November 18, featuring Caregiver: A Love Story. Free to attend — register here: https://ow.ly/R4sA50XoFex

One small tumor. One big decision. Our latest I Am story explores what it means to live between watch & wait and act now. Read I Am… Choosing When to Act in honor of #WorldNETCancerDay. https://research.smartpatients.com/resources#WorldNETCancerDay #PanCAN #SmartPatients #pNET #PancreaticCancerAwareness

Today is World Diabetes Day. At Smart Patients, we’re sharing real stories and in this one, a Smart Patient describes how life changed overnight, and how connection helped restore balance. https://ow.ly/oYvf50XpkWW #WorldDiabetesDay #NationalDiabetesMonth #SmartPatients #DiabetesAwareness

Today we join others in recognizing the first-ever Cancer Biomarker Awareness Day. Biomarker testing helps people get treatments tailored to their specific tumor. Personalized treatment saves lives. Everyone deserves access. #CancerBiomarkerAwarenessDay #SmartPatients

Did you know that 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer? That’s why we're thrilled to launch our partnership with the Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer. Join us: https://ow.ly/L0Zf50Xl8jT #BremFoundation #SmartPatients #BreastCancerAwareness #EarlyDetection

226,650 — estimated new lung cancer cases in the U.S. this year. 64% — survival rate when detected early. 25% — mortality reduction through screening. Thank you Lung Cancer Foundation of America for your work to raise awareness about the power of screening. https://ow.ly/fVvO50XjQNF

Can empathy be taught? Our latest guide, From Story to Strategy, shows how integrating patient voice into CME & CPD makes learning more human, & with that, care more effective. What do you remember: the stories or the slides? Read the full guide: https://ow.ly/E4Br50Xm9i0

Join Hope for Stomach Cancer for the 4th Patient Empowerment Summit — a FREE event - either in person in Los Angeles (Nov 14–16) or virtually. Here’s the link to register: https://stocan.org/stomach-cancer-patient-empowerment-summit/ #HopeForStomachCancer #SmartPatients #StomachCancerAwareness

Read our latest I Am story in honor of #NationalDiabetesMonth. This is a real story about how diabetes can begin unexpectedly, and how to make sense of a new diagnosis through connection. https://ow.ly/TQ3G50Xmt43 #SmartPatients #IAmSeries #DiabetesAwareness

In our latest Smart Patients story, members share how they found meaning in simply showing up, listening, remembering, and letting love speak louder than words. Honor Hospice and Palliative Care Month by reading this: https://ow.ly/KUFN50XlP4b #HospiceCare #PalliativeCare #SmartPatients

What started as one question about parotid tumors in Sjögren’s disease became a community-wide lesson in vigilance and advocacy. This story is about the power of asking, connecting, and refusing to settle for “don’t worry.” https://ow.ly/WwFl50XjOlL #Sjogrens #Lymphoma #SmartPatients

This #LungCancerAwarenessMonth, Smart Patients spotlights real voices that remind us that breath is both science and survival: https://ow.ly/2e9w50XjPCO We salute our partners, Lung Cancer Foundation of America and the Lung Cancer Connection for the work you do. #SmartPatients #IAmSeries

Wondering what’s new in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) care and research? Curious about how genetics, screening, or emerging therapies could change the outlook for patients and families? Join us tomorrow! https://ow.ly/A87h50Xh9IM #FAP #SmartPatients #FamilialAdenomatousPolyposis

smartpatients.bsky.social Kathryn Burn is preparing for the European CME Forum this week with this question in mind: What would medical education look like if every CME activity began with a patient story? Read this to learn more using patient voices in CPD/CME: ow.ly/fSF250XlJF7

When someone you love enters hospice, there are no perfect words. Presence matters more than perfection. In our latest Smart Patients story, members share how they found comfort. Read the story: ow.ly/uR2350Xj2mi #HospiceCare #PalliativeCare #SmartPatients #IAmSeries

Who really understands what you’re going through? On Smart Patients, thousands of people do. Everyone’s journey is different, but connection changes everything. Find the people who get it: www.smartpatients.com #SmartPatients #PatientCommunity #ChronicIllness #CancerAwareness #PeerSupport