brain cancer
Welcome to the Arena
Welcome to the arena. The cancer arena that feels like you are the only one on this battlefield. Especially since you are the young one with cancer. The arena stands are full of people you know and love.
Read More...Love and Gratitude Help to Overcome Anxiety
It’s in the fine evening of September 2019 that I had so much confusion and having headache; I already have peptitmal (partial seizures) for the last 15 years and I took anti-seizure medications to control the seizures and I had developed a lot of side effects due to those drugs. I thought it was also due to that and my chronic illness and fatigue effects have been like that for the past 15 years.
Read More...What a Thief
Cancer is a thief. It steals away time, happiness, relationships, experiences, and energy. Prior to my diagnosis of grade III RELA+ Anaplastic Ependymoma, I experienced what we now know were absence seizures. When my seizures started, they were only about 20 seconds or so in length, and they only occurred a couple of times a week.
Read More...I Captured the Flag, Now What?
I wish I could pinpoint the exact moment I went from “cancer patient” to “cancer survivor.” It’d be nice to post an annual ribbon on Facebook with a triumphant, inspirational message. After all, survivors are done with all the yucky parts of cancer, right? Survivorship is the ultimate “good vibes only” party and I’d like to know when I was invited.
Read More...We Understand Each Other
There are times in each of our lives that we feel isolated from the people around us. We feel left out, struggle making friends, finding our purpose, but that’s life, right?
Read More...Finding Friends Who Understand
When I was first diagnosed, I didn’t want cancer friends. At the time I was still processing my diagnosis and trying to wrap my head around the fact that in a few weeks, I would be having awake brain surgery, chemo, and radiation. My brain tumor was an incidental find from a car accident, meaning I didn’t feel sick at all.
Read More...The Little Things
The ultimate gift is time, but in an instant, it can feel as though time stops. The moment you’re told that you have cancer, your life changes, your perceptions of life change, and time stands still, as you know your life will be changed forever for better or worse.
Read More...Infirmity Gave me a Reason to Believe
Adopting a life of spirituality to gain internal strength, resilience, faith, and optimism allows one to conquer the external yet strenuous trials and tribulations that life may present. At the age of 13, on my bed of affliction, my life changed forever.
Read More...Helping Others Actually Helps Yourself
Most people don’t think about the full power of volunteering. It is easy to see how the giving of your time helps the receiver, but you can’t fully understand the gift to yourself. It can take lots of time to fully reveal itself.
Read More...Computers Crash and So Do We
“Did You Back-Up Your Computer?” For those of us who were of age to watch “Sex In the City” when it originally aired, I hope you can appreciate this reference. For the younger generations watching the reruns, you may or may not appreciate it quite as much. Synopsis of the episode: “My Motherboard, My Self” (season four, episode eight; originally aired 7/15/2001 – Wow, I feel old!)
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