Essays

Ronda M. Walker struggled to maintain a sense of normalcy as she fought breast cancer. This experience taught her to live in the moment and reminded her that life is short, and tomorrow is not promised. Read More ›

Alyssa Dickey searched for 2 years for the source of her recurrent illnesses before she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Now, she tries to find balance in her life and live in the present, knowing that the cancer will likely return. Read More ›

When 24-year-old Mia Brister was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, it was as if her whole world had shattered. She had to learn to be kind with herself to put her life together again. Read More ›

Julie Silver ran into many “bumps in the road” after she was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer. Despite many difficulties along the way, today her life is filled with gratitude and appreciation. Read More ›

Cancer survivor Tricia Tennesen recounts her spirit-lifting experience with a group of survivors on a nature retreat that involved fly-fishing, which offered her a “path to spirituality without doctrine or dogma.” Read More ›

After getting tested for genetic abnormalities, Brandi Bryant learned she had the ALK genetic mutation, which increases the risk for lung cancer. This information resulted in important changes in her treatment and led her to become an advocate for genetic testing, especially among minority communities. Read More ›

Jon Grossman shares his powerful story of learning he inherited the genetic mutation that caused his mother’s stomach cancer, and the drastic steps he took to ensure he will not have that cancer. Read More ›

When the emergency department (better known as ER) doctor and the clinical nurse specialist came in and asked, “Is there anyone with you?” I knew what was to follow wasn’t good. Like many other women, had made excuses for the discomfort, bloating, and weight gain I was experiencing in October 2016, thinking it was just something I had eaten, or maybe my metabolism, menopause, or inactivity. Read More ›

Enjoy Lillie Shockney’s sense of humor as you read her personal story of how working as a nurse and facing her own breast cancer diagnosis shaped her life and her lifelong work as a breast cancer educator and advocate. Read More ›

Samantha Anderson refused to give up when her triple-negative breast cancer returned. Trusting her oncologist, she enrolled in the clinical trial with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) that led to the approval of the first immunotherapy for this type of breast cancer. Read More ›