Essays
Susie Sanchez remained calm on the outside after receiving her anal cancer diagnosis, but inside she was terrified, dealing with radiation therapy plus chemotherapy. She is now on a mission to tell people about the benefits of the HPV vaccine, which prevents anal cancer but wasn’t available to her when she was growing up. Read More ›
Christopher Greklek competed in Ironman races and was shocked when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. He describes being in and out of remission repeatedly, citing a program seeking to improve patient options. Read More ›
What started as persistent headaches for Emily Dulworth soon turned into vomiting, double vision, and a diagnosis of medulloblastoma, the most common type of brain cancer in children and adolescents. Read More ›
By Thomas Goode
Thomas Goode always worked out; when he felt an excruciating pain on his left side one day working out, he knew something was wrong and visited a surgeon. After terrible back pain months later and another x-ray and MRI, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Read More ›
Michael Bailey, SHRM-CP, went through denial and fear when he was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and finally found inspiration in Bob Marley’s words on his way to perseverance. This is his story. Read More ›
Traci Fotorny was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at age 47. She kept her smile during her aggressive treatment, and when it ended, she started a Boxes of Hope program to give back to women with breast cancer. Read More ›
Denis Finnegan, EdD, a retired U.S. Navy officer, recalls his fear of being diagnosed with and undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, and mustering the courage to tell his wife. This experience changed his world. Read More ›
By Joe Bullock
After ignoring his abdominal pain and blood in his stool because of family stresses, Joe Bullock finally had a colonoscopy done at the urging of his wife. A stage III colon cancer diagnosis and the support he received from other patients provided new insights. Read More ›
With this moving portrait of how a cancer diagnosis can shake up one’s emotions and sense of self, Lydia DeJesus describes her experience with breast cancer and how she found her strength again. Read More ›
Melanie Shepard was diagnosed with stage IIIB ovarian cancer during the pandemic; she shares her experience of receiving treatment and support during these uniquely stressful times. Read More ›