“But you look great.” She meant it as a kindness. We were standing in a grocery store aisle. I had spent ninety minutes that morning deciding whether I had enough in me to make the trip. I did. Barely. And here was someone who had known me for years, looking me over and delivering her…
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Alongside It
I found two photographs of myself. One from before. The second one from after. Both photographs were taken at the edge of a lake, and in both I held a fishing rod. In the first picture, I stood. In the second, I sat. In the first picture, I also held a cup of coffee in…
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FMLA Cancer Treatment: Protect Your Job and Income
Cancer treatment can turn an ordinary work calendar into a maze of scans, infusion days, fatigue, and difficult decisions. FMLA cancer treatment protections may provide job-protected leave and continued group health benefits, but they don’t replace your wages. The leave is unpaid, which can feel frightening when medical bills and household costs keep coming. Paid…
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What Tumor Marker Results Can Tell You During Cancer Treatment
A number on a lab report can change the temperature in a room. You may feel hopeful when it falls, then frightened when it rises slightly. This result can carry that emotional weight, especially when you’re already carrying the hard work of cancer treatment. Still, one number doesn’t tell the whole story. Your care team…
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Cancer-Related PTSD After Treatment: Signs and Help
The last treatment can end, yet your body may still feel as if danger is close. A clear scan, the word remission, or a return to work doesn’t always bring the peace you expected. cancer-related PTSD can show up during treatment, after treatment, or years later. It may involve signs linked to trauma without meaning…
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