Taking the BallWe quickly packed and drove to the city. I took her to the largest, most expensive place in town. Our room had a great view. The darkening sky was filled...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Scanxiety Doesn't End at No Evidence of DiseaseA part of the process of cancer care is the scan. Before my diagnosis with Hodgkin lymphoma, I had heard the terms before but was not aware of the differences...Reactions0reactionsComments3 comments
Cancer Changed The Way I View My BirthdayBirthdays are such an interesting topic. Some people feel like royalty on their day of birth... some don't tell anyone it's even their birthday... some don't want their age mentioned...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
During and After Treatment, a Different Kind of FatigueThe type of fatigue that I had before my diagnosis was different from how I felt during treatment and immediately after. The first, I could push through. The second, not...Reactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Our Love Mates Go Through Cancer, TooI don’t know what I would do without my handsome, passionate, and dependable husband. Man, have we been through the most together!!! I’m sure none of us thought our wedding...Reactions0reactionsComments15 comments
Initial Thoughts After a Cancer DiagnosisI was doing some spring cleaning on my computer and happened to find a journal entry from just weeks after I was diagnosed with cancer. After reading through it and...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
Sand Through an HourglassI was sitting in the oncology clinic last week and on the TV I heard, “Like sand through an hourglass these are the times of our lives;” the familiar intro...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
Beneath the MaskI recently took my first trip since my diagnosis a year and a half ago. I flew from Minnesota to Texas to visit my daughters at college. As much as...Reactions0reactionsComments16 comments
Second Opinions: Confirming Diagnosis & Treatment PlansCancer can be a frightening and confusing diagnosis. When diagnosed, a patient may feel like they are in shock and overwhelmed. This can lead to difficulty in making treatment decisions...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Wasting TimeDo you have tinnitus? It causes a constant ringing in the ears. Mine is pretty strong. I hear it most the time unless I’m listening to loud music or being...Reactions0reactionsComments9 comments
F.Y.N.N. - My Pet StoryThe one thing I have learned in recent years is that when you post a picture of your pet on social media, whether it’s doing something silly or just being...Reactions0reactionsComments11 comments
CAR T-Cell Therapy: A More In-Depth Look (CAR T 201)Hopefully, you’ve read my first article on CAR T-cell therapy or seen something about it on news reports. It’s getting to be quite the hot topic to write about. I...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Medicare It IsI was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2011 at 49 years old. At the time, I’d been at my job for about 10 years. When I started this job in...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
What’s with the Good Cancer?If you’ve been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, I’m sure you’ve heard the term “good cancer.” How does it make you feel? Personally, I’m not the biggest fan. When someone uses...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The Treatment RoomAfter I was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, I was able to watch and wait for two years. My slow-growing blood cancer was growing slowly enough that I didn’t need treatment...Reactions0reactionsComments7 comments
Thanksgiving and Treatments are Almost Done!Thanksgiving was really good the year Crystal got done with chemo. When Thanksgiving arrived, she still had one more treatment to go, but she was well on her way to...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Looking Back at Thanksgivings with Leukemia and My ExThe first Thanksgiving after my divorce, my little son put his head down on the table and cried. “I want Daddy to cut the turkey,” he said. He was about...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Why the Lyrics of "I Believe" Matter for a Cancer SurvivorWhen I attended my granddaughter’s concert last week, I was taken back by the touching words of the song, “I Believe.” As I listened, the feelings associated with my cancer...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
It Is Me or My CML Diagnosis?Writing about this is very personal and I’m actually fine about putting it on the internet for strangers to read. Years ago on my personal blog, I wrote about a relationship...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
My New OutlookI tell myself that I need to live every day as if it were my last. I should live for today, enjoy my time on this planet, and not waste...Reactions0reactionsComments14 comments