"Hold up... Wait... What?" my mind whispers in the background.  A gray, dense brain "fog" covers everything like a weighted blanket to bear while I desperately search for a response to his question.  I am starting to sweat.  The...

The Loss

The wastebasket next to the bathroom vanity was gaining more of my hair each passing day. "That seems like a lot of hair today", I whispered faintly.   As my stomach clenched with each look in the mirror, as I desperately pat the sections...

Communicating our news to others can be stressful and a bit overwhelming.  I found it very helpful to be intentional about my tone, the timing, places, people, and the message itself ahead of time.

These 5 areas helped me prepare to share my...

I was holding my breath, waiting for a reply.  What did they think?  Did they like the changes we made to their website design?  After what felt like an hour (which was really just seconds), Mary spoke up for the team and stated that they loved...

 The "List"

Every day when I woke up, I would already feel late for something, like I was running behind schedule.  There was this list of things that I felt "must be done" already running through my mind or the unchecked boxes from my...

What do I need ... or want for that matter?

Your friends, family, colleagues, and community members will want to support you when you are going through cancer diagnosis overwhelm, treatments, surgeries, or recovery. They will ask how to support you and you may...

My Unexpected Chapter

Not long after a routine mammogram in November 2020, I sat down in my living room and answered the call from the breast clinic. What came next, I never expected. There was a 95%+ chance that they found cancer. I would need to come in for...

Ooops, I did it AGAIN!

OH NO!  I forgot to ask my Oncologist during my appointment today about the pain in my joints that seems to be getting worse ... "Could it be related to my chemo treatments or is it more possibly a result of the new hormone...

Cancer = Change

Processing the information of a breast cancer diagnosis is overwhelming in and of itself.  On top of that overwhelm and all the emotions I was going through, I then had to schedule appointments with the surgeon, for a Covid test, for...

The Call

The phone was pressed against my ear yet the voice was quickly fading into the distance.  “Maggie, you have breast cancer”…

I don't remember much else she had to say on the phone that day.  The words "you have breast cancer" consumed...

National Appreciate Your Nose Hair Day...

There isn't one, but should be!

I knew that I would lose my hair with chemo.  However, nobody mentioned that I will most likely lose those little hairs in my nose!!   I never thought about them or really appreciated...

When Fear Steps In

When faced with our first chemo or radiation... there is so much uncertainty.  Fear can start to consume our thoughts.  How will my body react to this intense treatment?  What will I be able (or not able) to do for the first few...