Blogs

As a survivor of MDS, I’ve learned to make the best of every day and to be thankful for life. Sometimes this means avoiding others who are less grateful.

For many years, I have trained my mind to have more discipline, especially after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in my 20s.

I haven’t been too happy with my blood work with CLL, but I try to enjoy what I can — including apples during fall.

Setbacks happen often in life, but finding gratitude can come at unexpected moments with cancer.

One year, after breast cancer treatment, I decided to have a Christmas photoshoot with my family, which turned out to be a good laugh in the end.

When you’ve had cancer do doctors assume every ailment is cancer for you?

When I started receiving treatment for follicular lymphoma, I wasn’t sure what to expect regarding treatment — and a lot of things were unexpected.

I’ve learned to live in the present by avoiding clocks, a necessary change in my life after having breast cancer.

When my grandmother passed away one Thanksgiving after my colon cancer diagnosis, I realized how grateful I am for her life and my own as a survivor.

Reflecting on my first diagnosis of breast cancer at 36 weeks pregnant has made me feel grateful for the positive moments during that dark time.

This year for Thankgiving, I reflected on how my life has been as a breast cancer veteran and how grateful I am for the support, love and care from my family.

In the cancer world — or anywhere — the ability to give thanks in the midst of trials is an acquired skill. It must be practiced.

When I felt inclined to spend a holiday alone during breast cancer treatment, I was encouraged to think of ways to make new holidays with my family.

Through cancer and life’s challenges, having and showing gratitude changed everything for me.

Celebrating Thanksgivings after cancer has made me appreciate all aspects of life even more and to truly cherish times of laughter and memories.

When I am triggered by something related to the cancer I have, I start going down a negative rabbit hole but remind myself to be vigilant when this happens.

With Thanksgiving coming soon, I find that November is the perfect time to reflect and gather feelings of gratitude as a cancer survivor.

During the holiday season, overwhelming feelings are OK to have, whether you are a patient with cancer or a caregiver.

Nine years as an ovarian cancer “lifer” yields these tips for surviving and thriving when there’s no end of treatment ahead.

As a four-time cancer survivor, I can tell you that survivorship means many things to each survivor.

I spent my life racing against time, until my cancer diagnosis forced me to hit the brakes.

I’ve heard that trauma doesn’t make people stronger, and I’ve found that after cancer, I’m not the same person that I was before.

Having a collection of prayers before, during and after a mammogram has helped ease my mind tremendously after having breast cancer.

When a dear friend told me he has lung cancer, I opened up and shared my own perspective and experience as a survivor of testicular cancer.

As a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, I recently gleaned three new insights from my oncologist and phlebotomist.

My quality of life has improved a lot after starting on a BTK inhibitor, but some things will never be the same — like being in crowded places without a mask!

Even if care teams have all of your information on their end, advocating for yourself is still necessary during cancer treatment.

I once thought that prostate cancer should be the center of my universe, but with everything else going on, now I’m not so sure.

After my breast cancer diagnosis, I decided to take a more active role in my treatment plan, opting for radiation therapy over chemotherapy due to concerns about side effects.

Preoccupied with other worries during October, a month full of cancer anniversaries, I reflect on how Pinktober caught up with me.