Living

I’ve hesitated to write about this topic. I’ve learned, though, that many blood cancer patients have had this experience. I believe it is more common than not. So, here it...

In the morning while I’m making coffee, I record “The Today Show” and “Morning Joe.” Then I can skip through the commercials and get my dose of morning news without...

In Part 1, I wrote about my Social Security Disability (SSDI) review and how Social Security no longer considered me disabled. My benefits were about to be terminated unless I...

It’s been a few years now since I heard the words, “you have cancer.” On one hand, I can’t believe so much time has passed. On another, it feels like...

We humans are strange animals. Despite all evidence to the contrary, we sometimes think things will always stay the same. Like a horse with blinders on, we only see what’s...

As you reflect on your life and where you are on your cancer journey, please allow me to encourage you with three simple yet powerful words. YOU ARE ENOUGH!! I...

On National Cancer Survivors Day, observed each year on the first Sunday in June, we honor and celebrate all of those who have been impacted by a cancer diagnosis. Every...

In 1967, my dad and I were looking at photos at my grandmother's house. He held up a picture and said, "Here I am when I was about your age...

Since my diagnosis with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in August of 2020 I have been asked many times how I knew I had non-Hodgkin. The answer is I had NO idea. In...

Do we really understand what stress is? We’ve all had the displeasure of being amongst its presence and we all know what detriment it leads in our lives. I recall...

There are lots of places online that will tell you about what you should not say to a cancer patient. That includes some excellent advice on this very site. It’s...

A couple of years ago, we visited Big Bend National Park in western Texas to do some hiking. As we slowly ascended Lost Mine Trail to the ridge with its...

I have a fertility appointment in a few days. It’s all beginning to get very real now. I’m excited and also hesitant. I’m also irritated with the fertility department, as...

Have you had skin issues with your chemo? In 2012, I started oral chemotherapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). As my body slowly began to accept the treatment something was brewing underneath...

Grief is complex and looks different for everyone. Check out the definitions below. Then, scroll down and comment or copy and paste to share which type of grief you have...

I applied for Social Security Disability (SSDI) soon after I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. With a broken femur and an upcoming stem cell transplant, I qualified for disability benefits...

Living with leukemia is difficult. Seems obvious, right? But if you are not living it, sometimes it is hard to understand. Coping with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) these past six...

During my chemotherapy for blood cancer, I looked forward to life after cancer. I thought this new chapter would be filled with hope and happiness, but I felt fear and...

Chemo. We’ve all seen it on TV and in the movies so many times that many of you, like me, used it as our treatment measuring stick when we first...

When you learn cancer treatment will involve chemotherapy, it is easy to begin thinking of the many potential side effects. We have all read about the potential and ongoing bouts...