Unexpected triggers hit me when I feel great, so I never know how to handle them. Does this ever happen to you? I am ok if I go to a cancer fundraiser because I know something there will trigger me. But the trigger that hits when I’m out enjoying myself is a real challenge. My heart races, I become lightheaded, and I often cry—no easy explanation for…
It may not be a scary time for you, but it’s the most challenging time of the year for me! February is the month I make my annual doctor appointments. These are not routine appointments for physicals and eye exams. These appointments ensure my breast cancer has not returned or metastasized. These next few months will be agonizing for me. All my fears of recurrence rise to the…
The farther I get away from my breast cancer, the more I want to know why are my breast cancer side effects never-ending? It’s as if the disease itself was manageable, but the side effects keep coming. And no one wants to hear about it. Everyone wants your journey to be over. Years ago, I remembered my mother telling us that once her conversations became about her…
Do you get that “pit” feeling in your stomach when you are afraid? I do. There’s a new side effect joining my cancer journey and it’s scary. I have been walking around with that pit feeling due to a new fear. It is so uncomfortable, yet I know I have to get through it. This is not my first rodeo, and you would think…