Cancer
One Hundred and Sixty Seven Pairs of Eyes
What are you afraid of? Is it snakes or spiders? Or maybe you’re like me. Maybe you aren’t afraid of an object. Maybe… just maybe it’s a feeling, an emotion – something that consumes your every thought. Maybe your fear is what other people might see.
Read More...From Clomid to Chemo
One of the things I struggle with as a young adult with cancer is never having children. It’s depressing when you see friends and family having and raising children all around you. And you know you’ll never get to be part of that mommy club. Especially when you were already in the process of working on it.
Read More...Tiger Trials
Our knowledge about what breast cancer is, how it works, and treatments for it have come a long way from the first documented cases in 3000BC. At that time there was essentially no understanding about cancer, particularly metastatic types, and the mortality rate for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) sat solidly at 100% for many years.
Read More...The Power of the Community
My community of support has been a major factor within my breast cancer journey and has gotten me through many years. From the moment that I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, over 22 years ago, to my first diagnosis with metastatic breast cancer just a couple years later, I have always had an army of support right there with me to help me throughout this journey.
Read More...Letter to my Unborn Children
I always knew having you was a long shot, a thought, a wild dream / Yet night after night I prayed over my womb asking God to bless me with the gift of Life / I had dreams of feeling your every movement from within my womb / Hearing your heartbeat for the first time
Read More...Calling All White Allies to Find Their “Something”
Two weeks after my college graduation, I was thrilled to land a job working in cancer research at a prestigious cancer center in Cleveland. I was especially excited to be working to provide better access to clinical trials for blood cancer patients since a dear friend of mine is a childhood leukemia survivor. Little did I know as a young and healthy 22-year-old, that the same friend would be shuttling me to and from appointments at the same cancer center after my own cancer diagnosis.
Read More...Is it up or down from here?
Is it up or down from here? Think of a physical rollercoaster for a moment. Now, I will be the first to admit – I am terrified of rollercoasters, and rollercoasters are a trigger for my anxiety, but for this article rollercoasters provide the best analogy. If someone invites me to the fair or amusement […]
Read More...Grief as an Oak Tree
When your mother is in the world, I liken it to standing under a great oak. The branches are a canopy of safety from the harsh elements; it has always been there and feels like it will always be there…
Read More...A Life Without Parents
Have you ever wondered what life would be like without parents? A harsh reality for many people out there. Yes, we are born from an egg and sperm, from a female and male. Yes, these are our biological parents, but are they the ones that make us who we are today?
Read More...Reflections: One Year Into My Journey
“I feel alone when I’m surrounded by friends…” That song lyric sticks out so much for me now. Even though this song was written about love and had nothing to do with cancer, this particular lyric can ring true for a person going through cancer.
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