Felicia Mitchell

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

Cancer is complicated enough while we are in it. How important are specific memories and details as we focus on survivorship into, hopefully, an old age that may bring natural memory loss?

During this holiday season, lighting candles in remembrance and in honor of those who need a little light on their cancer journeys helps me cope, too.

A routine can feel so comfortable that change is hard. So, when my annual mammogram and cancer checkup was delayed, I tried hard not to sweat the small stuff.

Here are some tips on how I helped a friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

I recently came across a shoebox full of cards sent to me after I was diagnosed with cancer. The love expressed by others was uplifting to me.

“Love Story,” the story about a young woman who falls in love and then dies of cancer, affects me differently now than it did when I was a teenager and no experience with either love or cancer.

I did not wear my prosthetic breast for my son’s wedding, but I did pack some lymphedema essentials for my trip.

It has been 46 years since my brother died of cancer, and I have finally reached the “bitter resentment” stage of grief.

Finding a swimsuit if you have not chosen reconstruction after breast cancer can be a challenge, but there are many ways to find what best works for you.

As I prepared for my friend’s celebration of life, I reflected on other loved ones I lost to cancer and pondered why I am lucky enough to survive.

After seeing my brother go through extraordinary pain because of lymphoma and then surviving breast cancer myself, I always pushed through the pain — even when I shouldn’t have.

A breast cancer survivor describes how preparing an outfit for her son’s upcoming wedding and seeing social media photos of other women sparked body envy within her for those who have not been affected by breast cancer surgeries.

Nobody wants to learn they have cancer. But sometimes, the disease teaches people to appreciate other aspects of life, one cancer survivor explains.

A cancer survivor describes the emotional rollercoaster of learning her tumor marker levels have risen. "I had decided that this would be the year I would bid farewell to my cancer journey. So much for my big plan," she writes.

How does COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy relate to fear of mammograms for breast cancer? A cancer survivor explains the connection.

A cancer survivor describes how happy she was to return to the public swimming pool after getting her COVID-19 vaccine.

“Hiking is a great activity for all of us, including cancer survivors,” writes a breast cancer survivor. “As long as we can put one foot in front of the other, being out on a trail is inspirational and health-affirming.”

"Some experiences we have as cancer survivors may help inspire those reluctant to get or complete COVID-19 vaccinations to follow through. We are all role models for each other."

Sorting out symptoms as survivors age can be challenging, writes a cancer survivor. She notes that survivors have special needs that they need to be aware of to make the most of their “new normal.”

A breast cancer survivor who opted for a unilateral mastectomy advises people to look at all treatment and risk reduction options when first diagnosed with breast cancer so they can avoid any regrets years later.

Cancer is something that impacts the entire family and changes how you and your own family may approach the holidays. Here are 5 tips for families with cancer to use during the holiday season.

Using the full use of my left hand for a few months, I relied more on my lymphedema limb. Those with lymphedema, I learned, might do well to avoid fractures as best they can.

Cancer survivors sometimes wonder about their purpose on earth as time passes and so many others pass away before us with cancer. We need to be gentle with ourselves and not stress to much.

For a long time, I refused to acknowledge the lingering effects of neuropathy. I found a way to joke about it and told everybody I was clumsy. To acknowledge the elephant in the room, I had to admit I needed to explore balance further.

Even though I knew I was eligible for COBRA and that it would come into effect soon, my anxiety soared and grew as the days progressed. I told anybody who would listen that a cancer survivor in the time of COVID cannot be without insurance for even a second.

A cancer journey influences how a person contemplates retirement. In my case, it inspired me to retire from teaching earlier than I had originally planned.

Even those who have undergone mastectomies can enjoy a vintage bralette. And maybe being more comfortable with who I am, a survivor who did not opt for reconstruction, can be a lesson to others.

Surviving cancer teaches us emotional resilience, making even a frightening pandemic something we can decide we can navigate.

With so many cancer survivors working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, we may need to assess how our shift to computer-based work affects limbs with lymphedema and make a few adjustments to the new routines to help ourselves out.