I’m sorry that I’ve been a little quiet on the blog lately. I’ve been recovering from unexpected surgery to my leg. Many of you know that I’m a bone cancer survivor. Along with aggressive rounds of chemo, I underwent a limb salvage surgery (thankfully) that removed and replaced most of my femur, knee and upper

From the moment I was diagnosed with bone cancer at 21, cancer advocacy has been a driving force in my life. Cancer is the one thing I think about every day, spurring a range of emotions, sometimes multiple at once (that makes for interesting moments). I have been a cancer survivor for almost longer than

Detroit is really changing back into the vibrant city it once was, and as a lifelong metro Detroit resident, I love being able to experience the revitalization by exploring the city, both old and new. There is of course more work to be done, but it’s important to recognize the many efforts. My friends and

If you read my last post about lessons learned on RAGBRAI (the bike ride across Iowa that I recently did with Team LIVESTRONG), you’ll know why my road bike is so important to me. From the confidence to the health benefits to the freedom I feel, biking is important to me. As much as I

I had the awesome fortune to spend last week in Iowa with friends from Team LIVESTRONG. We biked across the state, dipping tires in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, to raise funds and awareness of LIVESTRONG‘s programs and services for people facing cancer. Sixty-five teammates raised more than $180,000 and created some amazing memories through

Fourteen years ago, my dad died from multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the blood. He was in his mid-50s. The ache of missing him never leaves, the tiny hole in my heart still empty. I miss everything that is him, even the faults. And for the longest time, I felt responsible for his death.

It’s an exciting trip to plan when you get to return to one of your favorite cities! One of my volunteer duties as president of my sorority alumnae chapter is attending our national convention. I was pretty excited when it was announced the convention would be held in Austin, Texas! I’ve had the pleasure of

When I was diagnosed at 21 years old with bone cancer, I knew my life would change. Little did I know just how much it would change (you really have no clue even when people try to prepare you). Being diagnosed on the cusp of adulthood set the course for my life to journey down

Summers in Michigan are most often fun, beautiful, busy months that seem to fly by. For me, summers mean biking, hiking, picnics, geocaching, exploring new and old places, camping, travel, barbecues and so much more. I’m excited for an upcoming camping weekend with several female friends. We’ll be heading to beautiful northern Michigan for a

As you may have guessed, I’ve been spending lots of time on my road bike as I prepare to ride across Iowa during RAGBRAI to raise funds for LIVESTRONG’s programs for cancer survivors, caregivers and their families. It took a while for Mother Nature to bless us with warm and dry temps so I could