The Elephant in the Room is Cancer. Tea is the Relief Conversation Provides.

Melanoma

My Path to “Re–”

by Lauren Patterson February 14, 2024

It has been nearly two years since diagnosis, and I feel so far from rediscovering myself.

Reclaiming my body.

Resuming my life.

Recapturing lost time.

Or repairing broken relationships.

Read More...

Eyes of an Advocate

by Tara Smith February 15, 2023

We all know that 2020 was quite the year for all of us. The global pandemic shut everything down. Life as we knew it completely changed.

Imagine you’re a young adult, working, just trying to survive, hustling, and grinding away….and then finding out you have cancer.

I was 31. I was working a retail position and getting ready to move into my first apartment, had a date set and everything… 

Let me take you back…

Read More...

Don’t Shut Your Feelings Out

by Alyssa Latham May 24, 2022

Dear Younger Self,

I’m sorry I never took it seriously. You know, those hundreds of adults who told you that your fair-skinned complexion would never make you tan—no matter how much time in the sun is spent with no sunscreen in sight.

Read More...

Dear Younger Self, You’ll Come out on Top

by Sam Dean May 17, 2022

Dear Young[er] Sam,
I want you to remember that you’re a heartfelt and passionate woman. When things get hard, taking a deep breath really does help. Sometimes you just need five minutes away from the situation to get a handle on it. Also, remember to grieve.

Read More...

From Melanoma to Mindfulness

by Lauren Aloisio March 1, 2022

Malignant melanoma. The words glowed back at me from my work computer screen as if they were highlighted in neon yellow. “That must be a mistake,” I thought, as I glazed through the remainder of the virtual pathology report.

Read More...