Breast Cancer

Dear Cancer, You Became My Silver Lining

Dear Cancer,

May 19, 2015, the day I discovered you were living within me. At just 26 years old, I was gearing up for a rollercoaster ride that, little did I know, I would never get off. I thought there would be an end to you, a day where my life would go back to what it was, and I could act as if you had never happened.

Dear Cancer: The Chaotic Voyage

Dear cancer,

You made life messy. I expected it to be clean, linear, and perfect. But it’s none of these. Rarely does life sail along without at least a few waves crashing into my fragile vessel. Why do I expect perfection from a world that’s flawed?

Dear Cancer, You Will Ruin My Life

Dear Cancer,

You will ruin my life. If I let you. But I choose not to give you that much power. You don’t deserve to take anything else from me. My life got turned upside-down, sideways, and every other direction a year and a half ago because of you. It’s like I’m still spinning out of control sometimes.

Dear Cancer, Are We Friends or Foes?

Are you my friend, foe or imaginary friend?
The way this story starts doesn’t make sense with how it ends.
It seems like you only made yourself visible to me,
Through these waves of endless grief, what is it you want me to see?

Dear Cancer: An Evolution of Hope and Advocacy

Dear Cancer,

It is with a mixture of relief, gratitude, and determination that I address you today. You, who once infiltrated my life with fear and uncertainty, have now become a symbol of resilience, hope, and the power of human spirit.

Hostage

i wanted to run away-
trapped by a body
that no longer felt safe.
it was inside of me.
there was no way to escape.

Shoo Cancer, Don’t Bother Me

Death tally: one mother, one father, one marriage, one brother, another brother—nearly. For 45 years I thought of myself as a survivor, but when you don’t have any visible scars to show for it, nobody really acknowledges your wounds.

Survivorship Is a Journey All on Its Own

Sharing my breast cancer journey has become very important to me and my grief process. I have found profound healing in the power of sharing my experiences and raw feelings with the world. The most important thing I like to talk about is survivorship, and this is the story of my walk to survivorship.

Finding Solace in Survivorship

She protected me,
The day’s events could’ve rocked my world,
Could’ve broken me down beyond repair,
But she protected me.

Dating and Relationships During Cancer

Hi Herd,

It’s been a while. I missed you all. I took a long break from the big “C” word and decided to live a “normal life.” Did you all think that I got very far? LOL!