Laura Yeager

When I was finally allowed to eat after my mastectomy, the hospital-grade turkey sandwich tasted like the best thing ever.

"Getting cancer is kind of like getting stuck out in the rain — torrential rain."

I hadn’t done aerobics in decades, but it was time to be off the cancer couch.

I never thought I’d say it, but I miss my padded bras.

I had never donated to St. Jude’s Hospital before, even though I’d had cancer twice.

Having had cancer twice before, I know the choreography if I have it again.

Back 50 years or so ago, people didn’t discuss cancer freely. Today, things have changed.

So many aftereffects occurred with my two cancers.

I became a frequent shopper at the hospital gift shop throughout my cancer experience.

After a certain amount of time in the day, bras become devilish and must be removed immediately!

My mom kept me safe from everything, until cancer showed her she couldn’t.

Even though I did smoke cigarettes, I made sure that I didn't smoke enough to get cancer from it.

Dealing with my cancer was much easier than dealing with the possibility of my mother’s cancer.

Anticipating a cancer scan, I think back on my early encounters with cancer.

After receiving clean cancer scans, I rewarded myself with a trip to the thrift shop.

I’m reflecting on the distant past — a time before my cancer diagnoses.

My local cancer wellness center offered a singing bowls session, which I found incredibly relaxing.

After experiencing another cancer scare (which thankfully turned out to be OK), I purchased a wig and a fun outfit to wear, prompting my family to think my cancer had returned.

I once again find myself in the cancer gray zone after being diagnosed with pulmonary lung disease — will this lead to another cancer diagnosis?

I would be devastated if my husband left me during my cancer experience. Unfortunately, that is a reality for some people.

At a neighbor’s funeral, I realized that people have their own hardships, too, and there is a time and a place to discuss my cancer diagnosis.

I was lucky to find a cancer resource center that offered support groups, free wigs and plenty more — including delicious luncheons for survivors and their families.

Nobody prepared me for the hardest part of my cancer experience — the toll it would have on my 6-year-old son.

As the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be winding down, I’ll still be masking up, knowing that it could return as quickly as it left.

I have a lipoma on my back, and since I’m worried about both the aesthetics and potential malignancy of the fatty tumor, I’ve decided to have it removed.

Cancer took a toll on mine and my husband’s sex life, but after a great sexual encounter on New Year’s Eve, I wondered if adding erotica into our relationship might help keep that passion alive.

A cancer survivor explains how she was able to intimately reconnect with her spouse after cancer caused their love life to fizzle for many years.

A cancer survivor explains how her most prized possession went from being a faux fur coat to the slip of paper that reads, “No cancer detected.”

A breast cancer survivor describes the mixed bag of emotions she has about getting a routine mammogram the day before Thanksgiving, and how she remains joyous and thankful yet cautious and fearful.

A breast cancer survivor explains how a group of men made fun of her chest – which is flat due to a double mastectomy – and how she chose to laugh the rude comment away.