Survivorship
The stories and experiences are written by people after cancer treatments. These stories are written for those learning how to get back to work, college or just trying to be themselves again. Just getting past treatments isn’t enough, it is surviving and thriving that is key to being you again.
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Our Tattoos: A Tribute to Cancer
I was born in Mexico, but moved to Texas when I was little. Just before starting my senior year of high school, I was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. During chemo, I struggled with not being able to do the things I wanted, but my family and friends were a great support system. I love traveling and going to new places, and I now have my own small business.
Read More...Am I Too Ugly for Self-Love?
I was 24 years old and had just swapped out my college books for a sleek M16 in the U.S. Army. I dropped out of college in hopes of finding financial stability and a promising future defending my country.
Read More...Consent & Good Bones
what does consent mean
if you aren’t saying yes for yourself
if every incision, stitch, vile of blood
is done because i am too scared to say no
Finding Beauty After the Storm
When I do see me here,
I SEE ME.
Who has battled for MY life twice.
And who finally SEES beauty through MY journey. Not just with flowers, but MY scars have become marks of strength and hope.
My Bodyodyody
My body is the exquisite shell for my soul; it has endured and repaired, it is resilient, yet temporary. My body is my G-Ride . . . it takes me everywhere. My body is the shiny, hard, candy-coated exterior that houses my mind. My body is a first impression, a form to hang fashions on, it walks tall despite its five foot four stature.
Read More...OMG! You Don’t Have a What?!
The most authentic responses often come from the mouths of babes, even if said babes are teenagers.
About a year after I completed treatment, I was asked to help during a wrestling tournament at my high school. In my pre-cancer life, I was basically a team mom for every sport. I had a soft spot for my wrestlers, partially because most of their families never attended the meets and weren’t supportive of their student-athletes.
Read More...Unapologetically Me
On August 25, 2017, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and boarded a 5:00 a.m. flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Tarkio, Montana. On my way to the airport, it dawned on me that I had just signed up to go whitewater kayaking with a bunch of strangers, and I had no idea how I was going to accomplish it.
Read More...Sisterhood of the Matching Scars
As I step out from the shower and wipe the condensation from the mirror in front of me, I see a woman who has been through more than anyone my age should have ever had to endure. Five scars—from my breasts to my lower abdomen and from countless biopsies and two different surgeries. Four permanent tattoos from radiation sprawled across my chest.
Read More...Preventative Measures
i could never eat as fast as my food could rot
milk goes sour
mold blooms on bread
even the oreos go stale
i stand each week at the counter
separating the good from the bad
Not An Easy Choice, My Odd Cancer
It all technically started at the time I was in rehab for one of those young strokes. They were concerned I wasn’t evacuating all the urine when I went so they wanted an ultrasound of my bladder.
Sure, why not. I didn’t mind at the time. The tech decided to peek lower just because we were there. They found an odd mass that I decided not to do anything with.
Read More...