Turkey, tinsel and Christmas lights cannot fill the emptiness in our hearts after the loss of a loved one. A season to be jolly morphs into a dread of the upcoming holidays. Our hearts are broken. Our holidays will never be the same. How do we cope, let alone celebrate when the vacant chair at […]
Electricity filled the air, sparking excitement and anticipation as I approached the registration table at the Monona Terrace. The time had finally arrived to get our sparkle on for Sparkle of Hope, a special evening celebrating women touched by gynecologic cancers. I received my nametag and registered my credit card to place bids for the […]
Pink lights illuminate bridges, state capitols and city landmarks. Runners, walkers and strollers race for the cure. Pink ribbons embellish bags, jewelry, hats and t-shirts. Teas, brunches and banquets raise funds for breast cancer research. Even NFL players sport pink in October. Think pink! Wear pink! Celebrate pink! October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. […]
Are there certain words that trigger pressure in your chest or tightness in your throat? For me, that word is cancer. I am an ovarian cancer survivor. My Story During the summer of 2006, Every time I had another bout of nausea, I brushed thoughts of ovarian cancer from my mind. Surely these spells were […]
In the pursuit of happiness, I have filled my life with many things. Some I regret, some were wonderful gifts, but none filled the void deep within. When I pursued happiness, I discovered that eventually the surge of pleasure dissipated. The negative emotions I attempted to suppress—hurt, grief, sadness, loneliness—once again surfaced, and I felt […]
July, the month we celebrate liberty. We wave our flags, shoot off fireworks, and host cookouts. We proudly blast our national anthem. But sometimes we long for the freedom we sing about in “The Star Spangled Banner”. We may have endured a season of battle, targeted by the lies of the enemy in the pitch […]
“Bon voyage!” These shouts echo in the ears of passengers as their cruise ship shoves off from port, the familiar fading into the distance. But at Camp Mak-A-Dream, we entered our own high seas adventure greeted by Love Boat’s Julie for our theme night—a cruise ship. We are ovarian cancer survivors. Many of us donned […]
Today is World Ovarian Cancer Day. I am an ovarian cancer survivor. I had observed the ravages of cancer and chemotherapy inflicted upon my patients as an oncology nurse. But I joined their ranks when ovarian cancer flung me to the other side of the bed. Nursing scrubs and shoes gave way to tieback gowns […]
March is spiritual wellness month. I don’t believe that it is a coincidence that it usually coincides with the liturgical season of lent, a time when Christians focus on how the death and resurrection of Christ have transformed our lives. We are a triune being—spirit, soul and body, so interrelated that the lack of health […]
Love—romance, flowers, hearts, chocolates and Valentine’s Day. But is this really love? I asked my fellow cancer survivors the following question—What acts of kindness expressed love to you when you were diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy? Let us count the ways: Prayer – Cancer is bigger than we are, but not bigger than God. […]
