I spent most of the weekend with my sister at this conference here in Dallas.

Over the 16 hours that we spent there, I learned many things. Here's just some of them:

• Fatigue from chemo is worse than pain from cancer/surgery for most cancer patients.

• VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor) is necessary for tumor growth. If you can cut off the blood supply to the affected area, you kill the growth.

• Participating in trials is often the best way to get the newest/best drugs/treatment.

• The Josh Groban song "You Raise Me Up" always makes my sister cry.