Breast Cancer

Cancer Friends

Friends.

Cancer during COVID. Seven hours from family. Neutropenic in the middle of a global pandemic. An unexpected passenger on the roller coaster of life.

Silver Linings

When you think of your life and how it’s supposed to go, cancer never enters the picture. But when it does, everything stops, at least temporarily. While you try to wrap your mind around the thought that this disease just might kill you.

My First Day of Forever

After weeks of anxiously waiting, it was finally here, my first day.

Not my first day of school.
Not my first day at a new job.
Not my first day moving into a new house.
This was my first day of chemotherapy.

I Wish I Knew

I wish I knew how scared other people would be, as if they could catch death just by being near me.
I wish I knew how many people would slowly fade away from me.
I wish I knew how incredibly hard it is to tell people how scared you are.

Scars and Souvenirs

“Your MRI result came back and it looks beautiful. We won’t know for sure until after surgery, but it appears you had a complete response to the chemotherapy.” As I heard my oncologist say these words, I could feel my heart start to beat a little faster, almost as if perking up at the idea of truly living again. Sure, I still had a lumpectomy, 20 rounds of radiation, and the rest of my immunotherapy to endure. But the cancer was gone and the worst part was over. I could breathe a sigh of relief as my life was finally mine again. Right?

Mama Has Cancer

My mama has cancer
She explained it to me:
There is a tiny germ in her
That we just can not see

Things I Wish I Knew

I started doing self breast exams after reading a Glamour or Cosmopolitan magazine when I was in my late teens. The first of every month the magazine informed. November 1st, 2021, I found a lump in my left breast. One I thought I’d never find but one I was preparing to find.

Changing The Conversation From Survivorship To Thrivership

I was so excited on my last day of chemo. I made a big glittery sign, brought cupcakes for the staff, and posted about how I beat cancer on social media. I planned an “apres-cancer” trip to Europe to celebrate and, other than waiting for my hair to grow back and my nipples to be tattooed on, I pretty much thought I was DONE with cancer.

A Long Cold Trek to Loving Yourself

To have someone who understood what I was going through and could guide me along the way would have been whipped cream and a cherry on top, but for most of my experience, it was like climbing up snowy mountains, sliding across an icy pond, and then through a winter storm.

Navigating the Uncharted Terrain of Cancer

In the intricate tapestry of life, sometimes we find ourselves in unforeseen chapters that redefine who we are. My journey with cancer began with my mother’s diagnosis in her late 30s, a pivotal moment that shaped my own destiny. As her youngest child, I discovered I had inherited the aggressive gene that had nearly taken her away from me.