I have multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer. I do not think I should feel proud of that. I am not sure pride and cancer belong in the same sentence. Cancer came without warning. At first, I felt tired. Then I felt worn down. Before long, my body began to lose ground. A long time…
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Finding New Definitions of Normal
Finding New Definitions of Normal Before I got sick, I moved through each day without thinking much about it. I’d wake up, make coffee, go to the hospital for six hours of surgery, eat a quick lunch over a sink, answer emails, and head home. It all felt normal. Because life fills in that word…
Read moreExisting Versus Living: Making Intentional Choices
EXISTING VERSUS LIVING Most people know the difference between breathing and breathing deeply. One happens on its own. The other asks for your attention. In the same way, there’s a difference between existing and living. Noticing which one you’re doing is the first step toward choosing on purpose. Existing isn’t wrong. It’s a place many…
Read moreMorning Routine: What Abilities You’re Taking For Granted (Post-Cancer Focus)
The alarm rings. I hush it without opening my eyes. My feet find the floor, steady and familiar. I stand, I walk, I flip a switch, light appears. I’ve done it so often that I barely notice. That fading is normal. It’s also a kind of forgetting. For many of us touched by cancer, courage…
Read moreHow to Find Goodness in Every Day When Life Feels Hard
Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day. That line can sound too simple when you’re hurting. But it holds a steady kind of truth, like morning light through darkness, not loud, not flashy, just present. If you’re living with cancer (newly diagnosed, in treatment, or adjusting to remission), you…
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