Martha lives in Illinois and was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in January 2015. She has a husband and three children, ranging in age from 12 to 18, a dog and a lizard.
Advice on Making Friends in A 'Cancer World'
A metastatic breast cancer survivor notes that It takes bravery to choose friends with cancer, but she stresses that the love and joy that comes with those friendships far outweigh the potential grief.
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How Do You Die Of Chronic Cancer?
A celebrity death reveals how little we really know about breast cancer.
Cancer, COVID-19 and Living With Change
Channeling the fear of unwanted change into the hard-fought promise of a transformed life.
Mental Health, Telehealth, And Cancer
Takeaways from 3 months of video tele-mental-health care during cancer treatment amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Safe Travel Tips for Patients with Cancer
Traveling with cancer during a pandemic requires some planning. Here's how I did it safely.
Waiting (And Waiting...) Is a Part of the Cancer Journey
It's not just time spent sitting in the lobby. Waiting is a way of life for people with cancer.
I Am Not Helpless (And Neither Are You): Ways to Advocate For Yourself
You don't have to be "difficult" to speak up for yourself and get the care you deserve.
Continuing Your Career During and After the Cancer Journey
Cancer alters the trajectory of your career, but it doesn't have to end it. Here are some ways to find resources that help patients and survivors alike find the next step of their careers.
Decision-Making With Cancer During A Pandemic
Choosing the best path forward is hard under any circumstance, but today, those decisions are wrought with additional unknowable risks.
Cancer Strengths in the Midst of A Pandemic
Survival strategies for her best life help this metastatic cancer patient navigate a new world in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flipping The Script
A friend's call to list all the good things people without cancer have done for those with cancer brings an unexpected rush of hope and happiness.
Power of the Patient Voice
Don't be intimidated by the science presented at poster sessions at conferences. They can connect people living with cancer and cancer researchers in a way that helps both the patient and the researcher.
Walking Into Cancer
Words of courage from a friend who knows that "getting through" may not be the point.
Risk Reduction In Cancer Prevention Month
Why reducing your risk matters right now — whether you or someone you love is in treatment or hoping to avoid a recurrence.
Music For The Cancer Life
Music therapy isn't the same for everyone, so find some joy in the music of your real-life and maybe even push away a moody cancer funk.
Why I Exercise (And Why You Should Too)
Exercise can do so much beyond risk reduction for the person already living with cancer.
Five Years With Cancer
Reflecting on the lessons learned from the trauma of living with a stage four cancer diagnosis.
Connecting To Clinical Trials
An improved app sends clinical trials straight to the phone of this patient with breast cancer (and she can forward them right to her doctor).
Do Radiation Tattoos Matter?
They're billed as "nothing", but for this patient with cancer, the tattoos are daily reminders of her new life.
Not My Choice
Think you're in control of your healthcare team? A recent experience reminded this patient that though it's her body, others may not consider her in charge of its care.
Not Seen and Not Counted
Why US cancer registries need to be modernized to help us better understand cancer.
Say Something To Your Friend With Cancer
A single question acknowledging someone else's experience can lift the heavy feeling of cancer isolation.
Metastatic in the Month of Pink
It isn’t easy living with stage 4 breast cancer when people want to hear uplifting stories about survivors.
A Small Break From Scanxiety
A prolonged and doctor-sanctioned respite from scans gave one woman time to re-evaluate her life with metastatic breast cancer.
Searching for Cancer Information: Go Ahead and 'Google It'
Searching for healthcare information online is a fact of life. Here are some ideas for how to do it responsibly.
Pink Is Not Enough
If you want my money, you'll have to do better than just putting a ribbon on a t-shirt.
Living Your Bucket List
How I went from a grocery list to a bucket list and found greater meaning and hope.
I Have Plans
Setting goals and recognizing milestones matters in a life with cancer.
Finding Unexpected Joy In My Cancer Visit Notes
My hospital made complete visit notes after my cancer diagnosis available online and what I found in them is a gift of gratitude and shared awe.
The Blood Clot That Changed My Life
Blood clots are more common in people with cancer than in those without, and new guidelines urge knowledge.