Chemo FailureI’m a chemo failure. It was 2012 when I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. I soon found out that fighting leukemia is complicated. For me, this disease is always...reactions16comments
Girl With a Ponytail, Gift of PerspectiveA runner with a long ponytail gave me a jolt of appreciation for what I was doing: running about four miles before it got hot. It was during an August...reactions1comment
Me and My PortWhen I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2011, I had never heard of it. On top of that, cancer wasn’t something that I had experienced in my family. My...reactions12comments
How Much Of The Truth Is Too Much?I had started my first job since treatment last November. I thought that everything would be fine. I had spent a month back home to recharge and though I was...reactions12comments
Bucket ListAre planning bucket lists fitting only for people going through cancer? Or can it be an eye-opener of living in this life span that can be open for everyone? What...reactions15comments
Cancer & "Assistance Guilt" - The Guilt That Comes With Being HelpedGuilt. It’s a feeling we all get from time to time. Maybe you forgot to feed the cats in the morning, or you slacked off instead of doing that work...reactions4comments
Holding PatternAs I was talking with my friend currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, it reminded me of a feeling I had during my treatments. She shared that she felt like...reactions2comments
It's COOL To Be On Medicare!"You're cool!" a third-grade boy said to me while doing cafeteria duty at lunchtime. "Thank you," I replied. A few days later, he said the same thing to me. This...reactions16comments
Stress ReliefStress is a common thing in our society. We feel it at work, in school, when visiting friends, and even with family. It’s hard to get away from it since...reactions2comments
We've Come a Long WayI look at my calendar and I see a day to celebrate just about anything! I do have some favorites. January 1st is National Hangover Day for us Canadians -...reactions5comments
Volunteering: Giving Back, Mutually BeneficialAs cancer survivors, we have experienced emotional scars and challenges. I was looking for inspiration and thoughts other than my life with cancer. I discovered that volunteering could provide comfort...reactions8comments
Music as the Great Escape (Part 1)Music has played a role in my life and holds an important place in my chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) journey as well. I started clarinet lessons at the age of...reactions13comments
The Midnight Library: What Would You Do Differently?I recently read the fiction book, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The main character, thirty-five-year-old Nora, has become highly depressed. The poor lady carries a lot of guilt. What if she...reactions6comments
Breaking Down Cancer's Choices Like MusicIt’s funny, recently the subject of music came up and how I used it during cancer to relax on those days when nothing else worked. It’s also how I ended...reactions4comments
I Made Everyone In The Waiting Room Listen To Phantom Of The Opera By AccidentAfter I had been formally diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, my dermatologist at MD Anderson also wanted me to get a mole removed for a biopsy. I don’t even remember what...reactions11comments
Patient TypeWhen you got the devastating news of being diagnosed with cancer, did you think about how life will change for you? Did you think about what type of patient will...reactions4comments
Setting Realistic Expectations as a CML PatientOne of the most difficult parts of having chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is accepting that the way my life was before, is now a memory. After months, maybe years of...reactions8comments
Divorced Anniversary, A Complicated DayFor stem cell transplant recipients, anniversaries, or transplantaversaries, or re-birthdays, are cause for celebration. For divorced people, a wedding anniversary, or a divorced wedding anniversary, brings mixed feelings. Yesterday was...reactionscomments
A New Kind of TherapyOk, imagine this: you’re lying on your back, someone puts a steel bucket over your head then bangs on it with a hammer, over and over in rapid, ear-splitting succession...reactions6comments
How Did You Know?I get the question a lot, "How did you know you had non-Hodgkin lymphoma?" My answer... I had no idea where my NHL came from, when it started, nor what...reactions4comments