After clearing three cancers, celebrating a birthday is a big deal to me. Truth is that I’m grateful for every day. Diagnosed with my first cancer at 21, I have now celebrated more birthdays as a cancer survivor. That’s pretty spectacular news! So as I celebrate another birthday, I’m focusing on celebrating being alive. And
I often get asked why I’m a cancer advocate. Why do I spend so much of my personal time and energy volunteering to work with legislators, doctors and others to fight this disease? The simple answer, of course, is that I’m a cancer survivor. I cleared cancer three times. By the grace of God, the
As a three-time cancer survivors, fighting cancer is one of my biggest passions. And I love being physically active. So when the opportunity came to participate in a cycling fundraiser to raise money for Livestrong’s cancer support programs, I decided that biking 400 miles to fight cancer would be a fun accomplishment! Why I ride
As an avid reader and writer, I am often excited to turn the page on a new chapter when reading and writing. However, in life, starting a new chapter can sometimes be a little intimidating, especially if it’s unexpected. I’ve had to start many new chapters in my life. But I’ve learned to open my
Today is a good day. Today I choose joy and gratitude. It has been 23 years of living beyond cancer. In that time, I cleared three cancers, too many surgeries and ridiculous amounts of chemo and radiation that battered my body. I still face side effects, physically, emotionally and mentally. But I am alive! So
The other day I looked at the calendar and was surprised to realize that it’s almost been two years since finishing treatment for breast cancer. Some days it seems long ago. Maybe because a devastating, global pandemic slid in shortly after treatment ended. Or maybe because I fiercely cleared that cancer, preparing for the next
It’s an undisputed fact – cancer affects everyone. With almost 17 million people living with and beyond cancer in the U.S. today, and more than 43 million cancer survivors worldwide, everyone knows someone whose life has been touched by cancer. People often ask how they can be there for someone going through cancer. So I
Health and physical fitness are top priorities for me, especially as a three-time cancer survivor. I’m participating in a workshop that encourages different monthly goals throughout the year. March’s goal was creating a positive habit. So I decided to focus on 31 days of physical activity. My goal was a minimum of 15-minutes of physical
More than 150,000 people of reproductive age are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many cancers and treatments can cause infertility issues in women and men. Facing infertility after cancer can be a devastating outcome from trying to save your life. Picture being told you have cancer. And your chance of having a family, whether now
The year of 2020 will be described in various terms in history books. Unprecedented. Life-altering. Dumpster fire. Worst year. No matter the description, it’s been quite a year. As 2020 comes to an end, I reflect on all that’s happened. And I realize it’s been a year of clarity for me. It was supposed to
