Breast Cancer

Changing The Conversation From Survivorship To Thrivership

I was so excited on my last day of chemo. I made a big glittery sign, brought cupcakes for the staff, and posted about how I beat cancer on social media. I planned an “apres-cancer” trip to Europe to celebrate and, other than waiting for my hair to grow back and my nipples to be tattooed on, I pretty much thought I was DONE with cancer.

A Long Cold Trek to Loving Yourself

To have someone who understood what I was going through and could guide me along the way would have been whipped cream and a cherry on top, but for most of my experience, it was like climbing up snowy mountains, sliding across an icy pond, and then through a winter storm.

Navigating the Uncharted Terrain of Cancer

In the intricate tapestry of life, sometimes we find ourselves in unforeseen chapters that redefine who we are. My journey with cancer began with my mother’s diagnosis in her late 30s, a pivotal moment that shaped my own destiny. As her youngest child, I discovered I had inherited the aggressive gene that had nearly taken her away from me.

The Rocky Road of a Cancer Survivor

I never know what to say when people tell me how strong I am for beating cancer. For one, I do not feel at all strong. Nor do I feel like I’ve “beaten cancer.” From my perspective, all I’ve done since being diagnosed in 2019 is not die.

The Sympathetic Magic of Dolls

There are many cultures where dolls are considered a magical item. Animism attributes a soul to the inanimate: plants, objects, and natural phenomena. I remember the first time I read about the Shinto belief that there is a spiritual essence, or kami, in all things.

I Am the (Cancer-y) Lorax. I Speak for the (Cannabis) Trees.

In a world where I’ve dedicated my life to caring for others, it took a cancer diagnosis to realize that sometimes I needed to be taken care of. Who would have thought? As an INFJ-T Myers Briggs personality type, the turbulent “T” has only intensified post-cancer.

I Found My Inner Voice Again

Do you occasionally look in the mirror and say to yourself, “I love you?” Honestly, I still find it difficult to say those three words to myself today. Five years ago, before I developed breast cancer, I would occasionally stop restlessly in front of the mirror.

Deciduous: A Poem for Processing Chemo Hair Loss

This year, I get to be deciduous.

Drop my cells to the floor, prep the soil for this post-traumatic growth that I’m sowing.

After Cancer You 2.0

It’s not always straightforward. It doesn’t “end after treatment ends.” Of course, treatment doesn’t always end. Even when it does, the wonder at whether treatment will be needed again flickers continuously on and off in my brain. On. Off. On.

As an active young mom, writer, contemplative, and AYA cancer survivor, I think a lot.

Cancer Free!?

Is it possible to ever be free of cancer? The mutated cells can be erradicated, health can return, life can move forward, but the grip cancer holds in my mind will remain. The fear that it could come back. That I must be on my guard, on the lookout for signs.