People love to say, “Just stay positive,” when you are in treatment. At first, I tried to do that, to keep a brave face and a smile no matter what was happening. Over time, I learned that forced positivity is not the same as real courage. What has kept me going is something quieter and…
Read moreCategory: Articles on cancer and other life-threatening diseases
Staying the Course Through Cancer: Real Courage Beyond Forced Positivity
People love to say, “Just stay positive,” when you are in treatment. At first, I tried to do that, to keep a brave face and a smile no matter what was happening. Over time, I learned that forced positivity is not the same as real courage. What has kept me going is something quieter and…
Read moreNeutropenia at home, practical infection rules that don’t make you feel trapped
When you’re told you have neutropenia, the advice can sound like one long list of “don’ts.” Don’t go out. Don’t eat that. Don’t see people. Don’t touch anything. After a while, it can feel like your home has turned into a waiting room, quiet, cleaned, and lonely. But neutropenia at home isn’t meant to shrink…
Read moreHow I Ask For Help During Cancer Without Feeling Like A Burden
Cancer rips the ground out from under your feet. Your body changes, your days fill with appointments, your old life feels like it belongs to someone else. In the middle of all that, asking for help during cancer can feel harder than chemo, surgery, or radiation. You may h ear, “Let me know if you…
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Weight of Decisions: Choosing Treatments With No Good Options
Choosing When There Are No Good Options I sat in my oncologist’s office with my wife beside me. He walked through the choices. Surgery that would change my face. Chemotherapy that might buy time but offered no promise. A clinical trial with many unknowns. Standard treatment that we already knew could fall short. Every path…
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