Bonnie Annis is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2014 with stage 2b invasive ductal carcinoma with metastasis to the lymph nodes. She is an avid photographer, freelance writer/blogger, wife, mother and grandmother.
The new year impacts breast cancer survivors in a vastly different ways than it does most people. Our resolutions, especially health-related resolutions, can be detrimental to our health if we don't keep them. This survivor shares her own chagrin at failing to keep some promises.
After breast cancer surgery and lymph node removal, I developed lymphedema, a painful, lifelong condition. This medical problem is often misunderstood but is it my place to help bring awareness? One survivor speaks out.
A very light hearted look at a serious problem.
Setting resolutions for the New Year is a common practice but one breast cancer survivor has a different perspective on how hers should look for 2018.
Could the cure for cancer be found in nature? The quest for a cure is the hope of every person touched by cancer. Perhaps the future cure will be found in a familiar Christmas plant.
Learning to accept the physical changes breast cancer creates is often difficult, but doable. It takes time to learn to embrace change but doing so is beneficial to well being.
Taking time to show gratitude for compassionate care is important. It can be done any time of year but the holiday season offers a perfect opportunity.
Silicone doesn't last forever. After a few years of constant wear, a prosthesis breaks down and is no longer functional. Some women become very attached to their replacement breasts and find it difficult to say goodbye. This is one survivor's light hearted look at what to do with worn out breast forms.
Practicing gratitude is an art. But how do we learn to give thanks for the difficult things, like breast cancer? One survivor shares her experience.
Explaining breast cancer to a young child can be difficult. Often, they have questions we would never imagine. This cancer survivor shares her story in hopes that more conversations with children will ensue.
The fear of recurrence is real, but taking a lighthearted look at it sometimes helps lessen the fear.
A survivor remembers as a pottery class sparks memories of her experiences with breast cancer.
Breast cancer always leaves scars. Some are visible and some are not. Today, I'd like to focus on the visible scars.
Post-traumatic stress affects more than just the person with breast cancer. It affects entire families and often, spouses suffer in silence.
Pretending to have breasts when you don't isn't healthy. Learn how one survivor compares her life to a famous actress.
Practicing the art of mindfulness can be beneficial to health and healing during breast cancer.
Just as the seasons come and go, so do life changes after breast cancer.
Living with lymphedema presents unique challenges. Here's one survivor's story.
Second guessing personal medical decisions is common in the world of breast cancer. Is it wrong to rethink some of those choices?
Living in a selfie-centered world can be challenging, especially for those touched by breast cancer.
Genomic testing is often expensive and inaccessible to those who can't afford the costs, but companies are working diligently to provide people with alternatives.
Blogging for CURE helped me find my voice and process my breast cancer experience.
An optimistic attitude is beneficial to achieving good health. Those affected by cancer need to learn to tap into the valuable resource of positive self-talk. Here's how:
One breast cancer survivor learns to finally accept breast cancer awareness month.
If I’d known I would forget so easily, I would have snapped a photo. I could have easily locked the photo away for safe keeping. When I got the urge to remember, I could have pulled out the photo and looked, but would that have really been a good thing?
Stress reduction is a vital part of breast cancer survivorship. Learn how one survivor incorporated the word
Aromatase inhibitors cause unwanted side effects. More and more women are choosing not to take them, but is this a good idea?
A world without cancer would be a beautiful place! Is it wrong to hope for that to become a reality one day? One survivor shares her perspective.
A breast cancer survivor learns to shed her old identity and adapt to her new one.
Testing for breast cancer patients seems to be unending. Receiving the results can be nerve wracking but learning to accept results with with grace is powerful.