Today is my birthday. The start of a new year. An opportunity to refocus on life’s wishes and dreams. A day to enjoy my life. A thousand moments to feel gratitude. A time to reflect on life lessons learned and birthday wishes. As a three-time cancer survivor, birthdays are not something I take for granted.
Most of you know my personal connection to cancer. A few months ago, I finished treatment for my third cancer. My younger sister is a melanoma survivor. Our dad died 15 years ago from multiple myeloma. Too many of my family and friends are affected by cancer. With more than 16 million cancer survivors and
Traveling has always been a favorite activity. I love exploring new locations, learning new cultures (even those local cultures in the U.S.!), trying new activities, meeting new people, making memories and simply escaping for a bit from everyday life. I love traveling so much that I have a dedicated budget line in my annual financial
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” It’s one of my favorite quotes. I even bought a shirt with the quote. I’ve been thinking about kindness a lot the past few months. I was the recipient of a lot of kindness during my recent breast cancer journey. From receiving funny cards to
Seventy cancer fighters biked across Iowa last week to raise awareness of and more than $118,000 for LIVESTRONG’s programs supporting people facing cancer. It was my third time riding with Team LIVESTRONG at the Register’s Annual Great Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), a seven-day bike ride from the Missouri to Mississippi Rivers. Four weeks post-treatment for
I’ve been biking a lot now that my hair shedding post-chemo has slowed and I can wear a helmet. I get excited to head out on my bike so I have a checklist that I run through each time to make sure I remember important items. Besides remembering your bike (ha), these are items that
I’ve been mentoring some young adult cancer survivors in their 20s. Among their questions is how to navigate the dating world as a cancer survivor. My answer: It’s not any different than dating as a non-cancer survivor. Yes we had a health issue and some side effects may remain. But I compare it to dating
Today I celebrate 21 years since finishing treatment for my first cancer. Two weeks ago, I celebrated the end of treatment for my third cancer. I guess June will be a month of celebrations and recognition going forward. When I walked out of the hospital, done with a grueling 13-month treatment that included inpatient chemo
It’s crazy that this week is six weeks since chemo finished! And while I’m still in radiation, I can finally see the end of treatment. I have no idea where life will take me after this but I’m excited to start a new chapter, clear of cancer and completed with treatment. I’m very grateful that
Today is a special day. Today we celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day and the more than 15.5 million cancer survivors in the United States, more than 32 million worldwide. Today is also celebrated as LIVESTRONG Day, a day to honor and celebrate cancer survivors, caregivers, families, friends and those who are no longer with us
