Mike Verano

We lost a good man to cancer not that long ago but you most certainly didn’t hear about it. He was a teacher, husband, father, mentor, coach and survivor right up to the end.

If you’ve been through the cancer journey, you’ve most likely bumped into someone professing the benefits from whatever tools were a part of their recovery. The information and promises can be overwhelming, contradicting and confusing.

Not only are we given a health crisis, we're faced with giving it meaning. What to make of such a mind-numbing diagnosis? Where to turn when life itself it turned upside down?

If the traditional male role model is one who is in control, confident and able to go it alone, then we have to face that fact that cancer is an unmanly disease.

Sometimes it is good to just take a break and pretend to live as if cancer never struck.

One of the greatest challenges we face as cancer survivors is the balancing act between hope and the “reality” of the illness.

The smorgasbord of waiting that is laid out before you when diagnosed with cancer would be farcical if it were not so physically, psychologically and emotionally draining.

It should be no surprise that it took someone whose life was deeply impacted by the cancer experience to finally create a shift in how we approach a cure for this illness.

Cancer and the blues go together like chemotherapy and hair loss.

When the question “Why did I get cancer?” becomes “Why did I survive cancer, while others did not?” the guilt reflex is turned on its head.

My guess is that every cancer survivor has his or her own list of negative interactions that took place while in treatment. Unfortunately, many (like me) were too knocked down by the diagnosis to stand up for their right to be treated with respect and dignity.

Being a pacifist in the war on cancer stands for striving for inner peace and reducing the amount of stress associated with a life-altering illness.

This time of year, one of the traditions that coincides with resolutions, is the reflection on what we have to be thankful for. This experience — counting blessings, giving thanks, the gratitude attitude — can be challenging.

Sadly, we cancer survivors are often measured by what we’ve lost to cancer. I would like to put something back in the space left by all the things taken away.

As an animal lover and psychotherapist, I've seen the healing power of pet therapy firsthand. From horses to dogs, cats and rabbits, the impact that animals have on recovery is nothing short of miraculous.