January, 18th 2025: Join us for food, drinks, dancing, and author sharing — all to support our mission. Learn more here!
Survivorship
Misconceptions, Hard Parts, and What Others Ought To Know
One of the largest misconceptions about facing cancer as an AYA is the idea that life goes back to “normal” after treatment is over.
Read More...a common misconception
there’s a sense of shame casted over us, as if we aren’t back to living up to society’s expectations…
Read More...Lost and Found Middle Child
We all wear many hats. We all identify in many ways. Me? I’m a wife, daughter, sister, cat mom, dog mom, friend, Disney aficionado-just to name a few.
Read More...Blast Off
Being a young adult with cancer (AYA) places you on a different planet compared to everyone else. You are suddenly ejected from your life without warning. Your peers often perceive you as brave as you navigate your cancer journey and resilient because of your youth—”You’ve got this.” As if we have a choice.
Read More...Coming to Terms with the Side Effects of Treatment
As a boy, I used to race the sun: I would start in the forest as the sun set, at the bottom of a hill, and try to climb as the darkness nipped at my feet. My body would throb with the blood rushing to my limbs before it collapsed with exhaustion. Now, sitting at the river’s edge, I am at that point again; I cannot go any further without rest.
Read More...When Over-The-Counter Options Aren’t Enough
When Over-The-Counter Options Aren’t Enough. Welcome to the last installment of our series all about genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM—the sneaky but significant side effect you’ve never heard of! Previously, in Part I, we reviewed that GSM is a collection of genital, sexual, and urinary side effects that can develop because of estrogen loss caused by certain cancer treatments. Part II looked at non-hormonal moisturizers and lubricants, two safe and effective treatment options that are often all that’s needed to keep symptoms at bay.
Read More...A Year of Cancer: Somehow, It’s Still Me
Who am I after Cancer? I think I’m still figuring it out. It hasn’t even been a year.
Read More...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.
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