Blogs

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.

After two diagnoses of acute myeloid leukemia, intense chemo and a bone marrow transplant, I’ve learned some things that helped me along the way.

Most cancer memories are triggering for me, but one place is particularly sweet when I think back on it.

After being diagnosed with an incurable cancer, I had to reframe my thinking to focus on the positive.

I learned that finding the right kind of support during and after a cancer diagnosis is truly invaluable.

While my taste buds have returned to normal after cancer treatment, my desire to cook and eat has not.

I’ve learned that “survivor’s guilt” can be another symptom of our disease.

I remember hearing somewhere that there’s no such thing as achieving the perfect balance; rather, life itself is an act of constant rebalancing. I've found that to be true in life with cancer.

Genetic testing is the norm for cancer patients with familial history. How did I let it slip through the crack?

When starting chemotherapy, I was expecting hair and weight loss, but was caught off guard when my mouth began to hurt.

Sure, knowledge is power, but there’s comfort in naïveté, too, when it comes to expectations for cancer care.

Cancer taught me not to worry about the little things.

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.

I recently underwent genetic testing to see if I had any mutations that could be associated with an increased cancer risk.

Lasting guilt gets no one anywhere — especially when it comes to cancer.

I’m mourning the death of a patient with cancer who I had never met in person, yet I loved and admired her just the same.

After my daughter was diagnosed with cancer, I began to share my experiences through writing, and through that I found camaraderie — and heartbreak.

Days before I went on vacation, I learned that my blood cancer might have progressed to a more aggressive disease.

Who would have thought that a small dinosaur toy helped give me the strength to fight metastatic breast cancer?

Before every cancer scan, I used to prepare myself for the worst.

I lost my hair during cancer treatment, but now that it’s growing back, I no longer obviously look like a patient.

Living with a hereditary cancer diagnosis, it is crucial that I prioritize my physical and mental health.

As it turned out, I didn't have to die from my long-term cancer side effects. I only had to feel like I was about to for long enough for the medical profession to finally take notice.

Growing up, I thought that only “bad boys” used marijuana, but after my cancer diagnosis, my perception slowly changed.

Integrating a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis with the life you have takes time and effort.

Sometimes I feel lazy and berate myself instead of admitting that I am ill.

As a mom, I have the “worry gene,” though it got much worse when my daughter was diagnosed with cancer.

For the past nine years, I’ve struggled with waves of overwhelming fear of cancer recurrence. I knew I had an issue, but until recently, wasn’t aware of how much fear was affecting my life.

I was diagnosed with cancer five years ago, and am extremely grateful for the people I met along the way.

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