Survivorship Series

Have you been touched by cancer? Read inspiring stories from cancer survivors about their own experience navigating treatment, survivorship concerns, and other aspects of their journey. Discover how they found strength, courage, and hope in difficult times.

Read October 11, 2023

A Breast Cancer Survivor Shares Words of Hope & Ways to Cope

Chances are, you know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. You also might be a breast cancer patient or survivor, like Kay, who was diagnosed with an aggressive, advanced stage breast cancer in 2020. Read on to learn about Kay, whose story may help other patients and survivors feel less alone in their experience.
Read August 18, 2023

Dan's Lymphoma Story: Humor With Tumor

Dan was an Olympic-level athlete and active in triathlons, road races, and half marathons. His doctor once said to him, “You’re the healthiest guy I know.” Keep reading to learn about Dan's lymphoma story, and how humor, writing, and support from his community played a therapeutic role in his cancer experience.
Tony Walker wears a blue and white bow tie, blue blazer, white blouse, and glasses with blue frames
Read December 20, 2022

HIV and Cancer: One Man Shares His Experience Navigating Both Diagnoses

"One day, I was advocating for a patient of mine and realized that I hadn’t been doing a good job of advocating for myself," shares Tony Christon-Walker, a longtime community advocate and activist. In our Q&A with Tony, he discusses his experience as a cancer survivor living with HIV. He also reflects on the importance of self-advocacy as a patient and facing – and defeating – stigma. Keep reading for more insights from Tony.
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Read November 29, 2022

How One Woman Navigated a Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Found Her New Normal

Just a few months after giving birth to her first child, Tamron Little learned she had peritoneal mesothelioma. Tamron’s love for her infant son gave her hope, and her husband was a steady source of comfort and support. Today, 15 years after her diagnosis, Tamron shares her story.
Wearing headphones, Katie Phillips smiles beside a wall with neon lights
Read September 13, 2022

Talking, Sharing, Laughing & Loving: How One Woman Is Navigating Thyroid Cancer

When Katie Phillips was diagnosed with a rare type of thyroid cancer, she went through a period of shock and despair. She began keeping an audio diary about her experiences with the help of her friend Clair. The recordings are now available as a podcast, "Talking With Cancer," that's entering its second season. Keep reading to learn more about Katie's diagnosis, the podcast, and why laughter can sometimes be the best medicine.
Amber smiles while standing on a sidewalk in front of a leafy green tree in the summer sunshine
Read August 30, 2022

A Brave August

“August, you get me every time. It’s that time of year…when my trauma triggers fire nonstop.” In the final installment of her blog series, Amber Havekost reflects on the difficult August, 5 years ago, when an advanced-stage cancer diagnosis changed her life. “Anniversary dates are complex,” she writes. “Some are amazing but now also tainted by pain. Some we wish to forget but then, if we do, what else would have to be forgotten?”
Amber and her husband enjoy the autumn colors on a mountain hike with their dog.
Read August 18, 2022

Grief & Loss. Gratitude & Gain.

“Grief isn’t shameful and it isn’t cause for panic. It isn’t taboo, it isn’t unnecessary, it isn’t weak, and it isn’t wrong or dangerous. Rather, to grieve is to be authentic. To grieve is to be honest. To grieve is to be grateful. And to grieve is to be human.” In the latest installment of her 5-part blog series, Amber Havekost continues to trace her cancer journey, honoring both her losses and her gains along the way.
Amber standing in the rain
Read August 4, 2022

The Elusive Wonder of Foreverland

“Survivorship is in the whole cancer experience. It’s getting up and going to the next appointment, whether it’s appointment No. 2 or No. 282. It’s treatment. It’s surgeries. It’s putting one foot in front of the other even when the direction you’re going is unknown.” Amber Havekost reflects on the meaning of survivorship and the ways it has touched every step of her journey with cancer.
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Read July 21, 2022

Cancer Defined. Me, Redefined.

In part 2 of a 5-part series that traces her cancer journey, blog writer Amber Havekost unpacks the word cancer, stripping the term of its vague meanings and abstractions and laying bare the difficult, sometimes painful realities it has unleashed in her own life. In the process, Amber also reflects on what she has gained because of it all.
Amber and her family, lake photo
Read July 7, 2022

The Enormity of 3 Small Words

When Amber Havekost learned she had breast cancer, her world turned upside down. “Time stopped,” she writes. “The picture of my life in my head suddenly turned blurry and void of color, now with the word ‘cancer’ in bright red, etched onto my mind’s eye.” Read on to learn more about Amber’s story and how she confronted the enormity of 3 words, “I have cancer,” with the belief that hope can permeate hardship.