Reflections

My dad loves a good cherry pie. He is particularly fond of the way my mom makes the crust a little light and flaky and the filling a delicious combination of fresh, tart cherries all bubbling with goodness. The smell will fill the kitchen and the anticipation of eating the …

This tool is a confusing one because although it looks like a triangle, it is actually a square. It reminds me that so often when people ask us how we are, we say, “I’m fine” when we don’t honestly feel fine at all. It is okay to be real, it …

Hello all, . My name is Nicole, and at the age of 35, I was diagnosed with stage 1a breast cancer. My whole life I have always loved art and would spend hours painting and drawing. This very activity helped me deal with my whole cancer journey. It was the …

I guess the most important place to start would be at the beginning, although that might make for an exceptionally long and unnecessary story. My life has been a journey and to understand or comprehend how one path led me to the next is something I am not sure even …

Strength is a powerful word. Physical strength is very obvious to the human eye. Internal strength is something different and more difficult to define. Not only is it difficult to define, but it is hard to determine where one finds their internal strength. It varies from person to person. When …

Several months ago, shortly after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I received an e-hug via Facebook from a complete and total stranger. It was in a response to a post I put on a Facebook page regarding my cancer.  The e-hug I received contained a poem titled What Cancer …

For some women, dealing with endometriosis feels like being in a state of perpetual PMS. For others, it becomes a game of Jekyll and Hyde during that time of the month. Or during ovulation. Or all the time. It is different for each woman, but I would think that all …

Lately, I’ve been trying to figure out ways to bring about more awareness about Rheumatoid Arthritis. By awareness, I mean making people aware of the facts surrounding this disease and erasing some misconceptions. So today I want to present a little list of Myths vs. Facts. Myth: RA is what …

I had an incredible dream early this morning. My dreams are typically interesting; vivid and in color, but on a rare occasion I’ll experience a dream that I know I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. This particular dream was about fear. I wasn’t running from monsters, …

Today my feelings were hurt as a result of another person’s actions towards my illnesses.  This is fairly common in my world, much to my dismay. You see…a large portion of the common public still view fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome as forms of mental distress. Some have been known …