I love meeting other childhood and young adult cancer survivors because my fellow cancer survivors really “get” me.  They have been through so many of the same things I have been through.  They truly understand all the challenges that come with being a long-term cancer survivor.  Most of all, their …

If I ever had any doubts about whether God truly existed or if he really heard my cries, those were all erased the day Riley was diagnosed. I witnessed the healing hand of God. Next week we celebrate four years of LIFE with Riley that wasn’t promised to us. I’ve …

Purple Colored Sunglasses I walked with a pretty fast gait. I walked around others who couldn’t catch up to me. Rolled my eyes at those who were too slow. Cringed at the elderly who took too much time getting up the steps to the bus. I cringed at ANYONE who took too …

If you are ready to take responsibility for your circumstances, if you’re tired of being a victim, if you are willing to accept that making different choices is the only way you are going to receive different results, then you need to run, not walk, to the nearest book store …

Dealing with any disease is stressful and challenging. The doctors appointments, medications, and sick days are common fixtures in our lives. Unfortunately with endometriosis, surgery often happens more than once throughout a warrior’s lifetime with the disease. At this point, endometriosis can only be officially diagnosed through a diagnostic laparoscopy. …

Here I am, another sleepless night. I like to blame it on all of the anti-convulsants I am on for my trigeminal neuralgia. A facial pain disorder which started about six months ago. The pain is so bad that at times I end up in the ER begging for pain …

Rheumatoid Arthritis hurts! I found that out 3 years ago when I was finally diagnosed – the pain had a REAL name! RA has forced me to leave my job as a teacher aide in a home for very disturbed youth. I am permanently disabled now and miss working with …

Many people who suffer from not only ankylosing spondylitis, but also other autoimmune disorders are familiar with these four words. The problem with the question is that there is no simple answer. For me, my symptoms can change daily. For example, yesterday I couldn’t turn my neck, but today my …

How ironic is it that one of my favorite bands is Life of Agony? Never in a million years would I think I would end up living a life of agony. I am not just speaking of the physical pain, but of the emotional pain that goes along with suffering …

I have many visible scars from various diagnostic procedures over the last 18 months. I have a scar on my ribcage from my chest drain, a scar just under my arm pit, and a scar just underneath my right breast, from my Hodgkin’s biopsy. I also have scars on my …