LIVING WITH CANCER NOT DYING OF IT

A cancer survivor offers some statistics about the longevity of cancer survivors. I think if any of us are honest, the first thing we fear when we are told we have cancer of any kind is asking if we are going to die. Then, when some of us are told it is......

IF YOU DON’T TURN THE PAGES IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, YOU’LL NEVER KNOW WHAT’S IN STORE FOR YOU

Life is like a book, writes this cancer survivor. And people shouldn’t be afraid to turn the page to see what’s on the other side, she says. I think all of us have been reflecting a lot more since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least I know I have. We......

WHAT IS LOSS

A cancer survivor describes her interpretation of a quote about loss by philosopher Marcus Aurelius. The impact of COVID-19 on our lives has been tremendous. Some of us have had enormous losses and said goodbye to loved ones. Others have lost a job or income. Still, others have recovered from COVID-19, but......

WE ARE STRONGEST WHERE WE ARE BROKEN

A cancer survivor explains how she applies the meaning of a book quote to life with cancer. I am a huge fan of books written by Louise Penny. I love mysteries and read them voraciously, but her novels are special. Because of my background with a Ph.D. in counseling, I like to......

IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CANCER

A cancer survivor recalls the scary moment she experienced what she thought was a new life-threatening side effect. Last year I wrote an article “Please Quit Telling Me It’s Not the Cancer.”It talked about how many side effects come from cancer and treatments, and doctors not recognizing or admitting that to patients.......

WHY DOESN’T CANCER MAKE SENSE?

A woman in remission from her cancer ponders why the disease seemingly chooses to steal certain lives and spare others. When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I was told the average time to live was 104 months. After my initial shock, I felt like I would get increasingly worse, the chemo......

HOW SOON WE FORGET

A cancer survivor shares the valuable lessons she learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, almost six months after receiving her vaccination. I was watching a medical show on television recently where the scenes were flipping back and forth from the present to the past. One unforgettable scenario was January 2021. The staff at......

GRIEF IS LIKE SWIMMING

A cancer survivor writes about the ever-changing waves of grief. I have written in the past about the grief and loss cancer survivors feel when they realize their bodies may never return to the normal healthy ones they were before the disease. I was recently leafing through a magazine, Hearing Life (Summer 2021). This......

THE CANCER SIDE EFFECTS THAT NEVER DISAPPEAR

A cancer survivor describes the agony of experiencing side effects that never go away and how she lives with them. I think most of us cancer survivors will agree we are grateful for every day and rejoice if we are in remission. When we are told we have NED (no evidence of......

CANCER SURVIVORS ARE TIRED OF BEING AFRAID

A cancer survivor describes how survivors can help face their fears by connecting with each other. We are now into our second year of the pandemic. Little did we realize during the chaotic year of 2020 that we would still be fighting this terrible pandemic in the middle of 2021? This monster......

CANCER SURVIVORS ARE ALL ON A JOURNEY

A cancer survivor explains why each person experiences cancer differently – from side effects to treatments and more. I was talking recently to a college student who will soon graduate and embark on the path to her future. She was telling me that she was overwhelmed by the decisions she had to......

ONE OF MY ARTICLES MADE THE TOP 5 FOR THE WEEK!

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