Cancer

My Bodyodyody

My body is the exquisite shell for my soul; it has endured and repaired, it is resilient, yet temporary. My body is my G-Ride . . . it takes me everywhere. My body is the shiny, hard, candy-coated exterior that houses my mind. My body is a first impression, a form to hang fashions on, it walks tall despite its five foot four stature.

OMG! You Don’t Have a What?!

The most authentic responses often come from the mouths of babes, even if said babes are teenagers.

About a year after I completed treatment, I was asked to help during a wrestling tournament at my high school. In my pre-cancer life, I was basically a team mom for every sport. I had a soft spot for my wrestlers, partially because most of their families never attended the meets and weren’t supportive of their student-athletes.

Unapologetically Me

On August 25, 2017, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and boarded a 5:00 a.m. flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Tarkio, Montana. On my way to the airport, it dawned on me that I had just signed up to go whitewater kayaking with a bunch of strangers, and I had no idea how I was going to accomplish it.

Preventative Measures

i could never eat as fast as my food could rot
milk goes sour
mold blooms on bread
even the oreos go stale
i stand each week at the counter
separating the good from the bad

Not An Easy Choice, My Odd Cancer

It all technically started at the time I was in rehab for one of those young strokes. They were concerned I wasn’t evacuating all the urine when I went so they wanted an ultrasound of my bladder.

Sure, why not. I didn’t mind at the time. The tech decided to peek lower just because we were there. They found an odd mass that I decided not to do anything with.

Orgasms After Cancer: Part II

Welcome to Part II of “Orgasms After Cancer!” In case you missed Part I, head back to the March 2022 issue of Elephants and Tea for a quick peek; it will be helpful as we move on to Part II. After all, the more you know about how things work, the more likely you are to discover what works for you. Sit tight, because things are about to get stimulating!

Cancer: A Poem

What can I say about this six-letter word?
My heart hurts every time I think about it
Am I living my worst nightmare?
Or is this my destiny?
Please tell me, I am desperate to know the truth.

Avoid Pregnancy as You Were Told

I was 36 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Premenopausal. What some might describe as “childbearing age,” though I did not have children, nor did I have any intention of having them.

My cancer was hormone-positive, meaning that the tumor fed on the hormones produced by my reproductive organs, estrogen, and progesterone. This meant that, even more so than with most young cancer patients with a uterus, fertility was a part of the early conversations with my oncologist.

What Do You Want to Do With This Time?

“You have to think about how you can make the best use of these next few months. Think of what your purpose will be.” My therapist said to me.

We were discussing positive ways I could refocus my energy and use this time. I was struggling with constantly looking back at the burning rubble of what used to be my life.

Stage IV: My MBC Journey

It had been a long day of work and coaching my cheer team when I finally got home. The day had been extremely draining and I was in a lot of pain. This pain had been a constant throbbing in my left shoulder, but this day was different because I could barely move my arm. I was truly concerned because this was something that I had never experienced before, especially for this long.