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Survivorship
The Scars Are Not Only on My Body but in My Mind
The scars cancer left behind are not only ones that are on the surface but go much deeper. The scars that cancer left can’t always be seen. Yes, you can look at my body and see on my chest and neck where a port once was placed. You can look even closer at my body […]
Read More...When Does It Get Better?
Cancer didn’t just change my body; it reshaped my soul. My husband joked that I was “Chelsey 2.0” after my first cancer treatment ended—a newer, better version of myself.
Read More...Moles and Monsters
I had to have a mole removed recently. Not so much a mole mole as a splotch, a flat, discolored smudge about the size of a nickel, borderless and nearly inconspicuous among the follicles.
Read More...Cancer and Domestic Abuse: My Story
I thought I knew who I was, what my purpose was, what love was, and what trust was. Turns out, sadly, I had no idea all along.
Read More...My Identity After Cancer
After being diagnosed with cancer and overcoming it, a new label was added to my identity: cancer survivor. While this label carries a positive connotation, it also brings a sense of uncertainty.
Read More...I May Not Know Who I Am, But I Know What I Want
In popular lore, there is the cliche that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. When I was 24, I was told I had stage III cancer, and what flashed before my eyes was all the life I should have lived: the wedding I would never have, the kids I would never raise, the dreams I was working toward—everything I thought I had time for could vanish in an instant.
Read More...Cancer is Not My Identity
Life after cancer isn’t what I, or many, expect it to be like. Like a lot of others, it’s believed that once your treatment is over and you are disease-free, your life will go back to how it once was.
Read More...Life Goes On?
I looked in the mirror as I furiously brushed my hair. It reached down maybe a third down my back. It’s taken 12 years to get this long. I’ve only ever trimmed and shaped it a few times; I worry about cutting a chunk off, in case it won’t grow back.
Read More...Fake It Until You Make It
When you see cancer portrayed in the media, there are two common storylines. Either the patient is dying, or they are living their “best life” despite it all.
Read More...Surviving Survivorship: The Big C
The big C. The big C represents cancer, but change should be considered (I see the word change and sing “cha cha changes” in my head every single time). Change is a spectrum and is inevitable. Change can be good or bad, or something in between. It can impact you a smidge or profoundly, or something borderline. Cancer changes almost everything, especially perspectives.
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