Felicia Mitchell

Many of the choices I've made regarding yard maintenance relate to my hopes to mitigate the risk of more cancer.

The symbolism of seasons helped me to put some challenges of my cancer journey into perspective.

Creating our own metaphors to stand up to cancer can help with the healing journey; own words can give us a better sense of control.

Through cancer treatment, loss, as well as many life changes, I found healing in simple moments of community and laughter that lifted my spirit.

Hiking helped to sustain me through cancer treatment, with its emphasis on fresh air, natural wonders, and the companionship of friends.

It took years to understand why my mastectomy site looked different. Knowing I healed correctly for my procedure helped me accept my new normal.

I share how hope, even when uncertain, helped me through cancer and honors its role in balancing realism, resilience and emotional survival.

When I saw a study about using AI facial recognition in cancer decision-making headlines, I decided to try my own informal, non-scientific experiment.

With proper precautions, international travel and safeguarding an arm with lymphedema are possible. Always prioritize your health and seek medical advice.

I reflect on how a generic mammogram reminder overlooked my experience as a breast cancer survivor and how thoughtful messaging could make a difference.

Survivors facing new medical concerns may fear the unknown, but perseverance is possible as they navigate unexpected challenges in their new normal.

Years after losing my brother to Hodgkin’s lymphoma, I learned something about how he felt facing a terminal diagnosis by studying an old Polaroid.

Buying a pretty bracelet was healing because it let me look at my lymphedema in a new light.

Even stoics need to cry now and then. My advice from personal experience is this: it is okay to cry.

As I shift from an oncologist to a gynecologist for breast screenings, I examine both my reluctance to let go of the past and my hopes for the future.

When I felt inclined to spend a holiday alone during breast cancer treatment, I was encouraged to think of ways to make new holidays with my family.

Preoccupied with other worries during October, a month full of cancer anniversaries, I reflect on how Pinktober caught up with me.

When natural disasters come, they affect everybody, including people dealing with cancer. I hope for speedy recoveries to patients affected by Hurricane Helene.

If you have lymphedema after breast cancer and want to enjoy the company of cats, there are strategies to avoid potential problems, especially scratches.

Having role models who illustrated body positivity helped me feel more acceptance of changes after my mastectomy.

Losing my hair during chemo treatments wasn't the hard part. The process of it growing back was.

It’s important for cancer survivors to follow-up with things that worry them. For me, my lymphedema sparked some fear.

Surviving breast cancer showed me that life is precious, but I also would like to prepare for life's eventualities.

The Princess of Wales' diagnosis of cancer after a successful procedure is not unusual — it even happened to me.

Every holiday season, one song starts to play in my head even if I do not hear it on the radio: “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.”

When mentioning “breast cancer” in a story about my college experience is not allowed, I considered alternatives to the medical term that describes my situation best.

Although I know I am not a scientist, and understand my cancer may take a lifetime, I contemplate why I ended up with too many copies of the HER2 gene.

Surviving cancer means not just checking items off a bucket list, but also taking pleasure in doing the mundane, from sweeping a porch to mowing a lawn.

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly popular and can even write generic poems about the cancer experience. However, I feel that they cannot compare to the writings of people who actually lived with the disease.

With each hike I complete, I feel empowered and reminded that breast cancer — and lingering lymphedema — cannot keep me down.