Sorry for the length of this post but I have a confession. I’ve been managing some post-surgery anxiety. It shouldn’t surprise me because one of the many things you learn as a cancer survivor is that just because treatment ends, your cancer journey doesn’t necessarily end. It takes many detours, climbs, downhills, jumps and more.
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
For almost 16 million Americans and their families and friends, today is a significant day. A day to celebrate life. A day to recognize the journeys walked and fought. Today is National Cancer Survivors Day. Observed the first Sunday in June, National Cancer Survivors Day is a special day to recognize cancer survivors, bring attention
Christmas is quickly approaching, as it does every year (my dear mother pointed out to me). I do like the lights, music and fun of this season, even if I never seem ready for the colder temperatures, early dark evenings and busy preparations for the holiday season. 2 Christmas was always a special time during
As we enter the end of the year giving season for charities, I’m focusing on some of my favorite nonprofits. I recently wrote about two that help animals and cancer survivors. 2 This charity feature is the I Know Jack Foundation. This foundation was started by a family in Iowa, people I’m honored to call
Between the turn of a calendar month and Michigan’s recent weather, there’s no denying the end of the year is coming. Besides the holidays, this time of year also means many people might be thinking of giving to charities. There’s still plenty of time to support great charities and get a tax deduction. It’s a
After spending a week biking across Iowa with Team LIVESTRONG, raising funds and awareness for their programs and services for people facing cancer, I’m even more ready to work to improve healthcare, increase funding for cancer research and better treatment options, and support people affected by this crappy disease. And the sad thing about this
We’re in the midst of summer when most of us are outdoors a lot more often. Enjoying beaches, biking, hiking, pool time, baseball, golf, picnics and many other outdoor activities. Exposing us to the sun’s rays. 2 As much as we should enjoy the outdoors and sunshine, the scary reality is that skin cancer rates
Twenty years ago this month, I walked into a clinic as a carefree 21-year-old three months shy of graduating from college. I walked out stunned and terrified as X-rays of my achy knee revealed a tumor growing in the lower part of my left femur. Less than three weeks later, I started chemo for osteosarcoma,
A few weeks ago it dawned on me that my 20-year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis occurs in May. I usually celebrate my cancer anniversary as the day I finished treatment, free from hospitals, chemo and the terrifying weight of that disease (there’s still a weight but different than going through treatment). Recognizing my diagnosis
