Essays

With a demanding career and 3 small children, Pam Neff had to make some difficult decisions during her treatment for an aggressive blood cancer. Read More ›

Douglas Herman describes the touching moments at his mom’s bedside before she succumbed to bone cancer, and his subsequent journey from distressing thoughts to 40 years of endurance before he received a diagnosis of stage IV prostate cancer. Read More ›

Rex Jones found a unique way to keep his mood upbeat and spread good vibes to others during his chemotherapy for lymphoma. Read More ›

Lynch syndrome is a hereditary genetic abnormality that can cause several types of cancer. Wenora Johnson discovered that it ran in her family after she had treatment for colon cancer. Knowing that she was at a high risk for certain cancers, and having 2 children already, she had her ovaries and uterus removed, as prevention. Read More ›

Sheree Williams, PhD, is a health scientist with the CDC, but her background in public health did not prepare her for the unique challenges she faced as a black woman diagnosed with breast cancer, highlighting the social determinants of health. Read More ›

For Charlie Rogers, cancer turned out to be a gift of sorts. In addition to forcing him to slow down, it also changed his perspective on life, encouraging him to cherish small victories. Read More ›

Stacey Roselle looked for the “silver linings” when a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma brought her face-to-face with unexpected reactions to her illness. Read More ›

Ronda M. Walker struggled to maintain a sense of normalcy as she fought breast cancer. This experience taught her to live in the moment and reminded her that life is short, and tomorrow is not promised. Read More ›

Alyssa Dickey searched for 2 years for the source of her recurrent illnesses before she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Now, she tries to find balance in her life and live in the present, knowing that the cancer will likely return. Read More ›

When 24-year-old Mia Brister was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, it was as if her whole world had shattered. She had to learn to be kind with herself to put her life together again. Read More ›