Frightened, bewildered, and shut away—the hallmarks of this quarantined season. I don’t understand why we’ve been engulfed in a pandemic and why so many people suffered the loss of loved ones and livelihood. The following verse has challenged me: Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV) “Trust […]
Have you heard the whispers of ovarian cancer? Stop. Listen. Despite my background in oncology nursing, I had missed an ovarian cancer whisper—nausea. Over the course of a few months in 2006, I experienced several bouts of nausea, but I dismissed them as the flu. Fleeting thoughts of ovarian cancer crept into my mind. But […]
It was time to organize, pitch, and clean. The disarray of my physical environment was interfering with my productivity. I’d start a writing project, but I couldn’t maintain my focus. So, I stuffed garbage bags with stacks of mail and magazines, deleted thousands of emails, shredded paper, and rearranged closets. But decluttering my physical surroundings […]
I never met my Great-Aunt Lucy. She wasn’t famous. But she lived a life marked by courage and adventure. When WWII rocked the world, the Red Cross recruited nurses. Great-Aunt Lucy responded to the call as did her nursing classmates, graduates from the New York Post Graduate Hospital. They were quite a public-spirited group. Aunt […]
In 2006, my Christmas letter neglected to tell the tales of brilliant, talented, and amazing children and pets. Instead, I dropped a bomb–I had ovarian cancer. Bald, fatigued and in pain from chemotherapy, I had to lay aside my usual baking and Christmas decorating traditions. I needed to simplify. What could I delete from my […]
My heart raced. Why was I dreading what should have been a fun celebration? Several months ago, my book, In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, was released. With a friend’s help, I organized a book launch party in my home. We prayed, planned, and prepared. Every detail had been taken into account. But when […]
Interview with channel 15 ovarian cancer
“Today my guest is Joanie Shawhan, and she shares how she lived through cancer and chemotherapy.” Cynthia L. Simmons Heart of the Matter Radio
Deb Gustafson from Moody Radio in the Quad Cities interviewed Joanie Shawhan, airing the program July 22, 2019. “Are you frightened by a cancer diagnosis? Do you know where to turn for encouragement, comfort and support? Today’s guest has been where you are, receiving a devastating cancer diagnosis. Now Joanie Shawhan has written down what […]
Mark Welp and Shelby Roberts featured my ovarian cancer story and book, In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, on their WMBD morning show, Good Day Central Illinois.
