We often picture strength in the big moments. The day you hear the diagnosis and decide you will fight. The day treatment ends and the bell rings while people cheer. Those moments matter, but they are not the whole story. Real strength shows up in the middle of it all. It lives in the hundredth…
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One Gentle Step at a Time: Small Victories During Cancer Treatment
Following a cancer diagnosis, when you’re in cancer treatment, it’s easy to think progress only counts if it comes with a big moment: a clear scan, a finished round of chemo, a strong lab result. Those things matter, of course. But they aren’t the only way forward. Here’s something worth holding onto: you don’t have…
Read moreCancer Patient Reflects: Was Six Years of Treatment Worth It?
Was it worth it? My palliative care doctor sat across from me with my chart. It held every treatment I’d had over six years of chemotherapy. The whole list was printed for her to review, page after page. It included the stem cell transplant, and the six months I got before the cancer came back….
Read moreYou Have More Inner Strength Than You Ever Knew Existed
Six years ago, I started fighting cancer. Since then, I’ve been through 47 MRI scans. I’ve had dozens of treatments and procedures. I’ve heard more scary words than I can count. I’ve sat through too many talks about what might come next. And I’m still nervous. My heart still jumps. My hands still shake. But…
Read moreStaying 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…
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