Cancer By the Numbers
1 Number of times a doctor told me, “best-case scenario, you’ll be stuck with a ‘frankenboob.’ ” 0 Odds he gave that I’d be able to...
It's Enough
If you saw my friend in the check out line at the grocery store with an expensive bottle of wine, you might feel envious. Jan is a...
How to Tell Your Kid You Have Cancer
The hardest part of cancer? That’s a loaded question, but telling my kid is at the top of that list. Lauren had just turned 10 when my...
The Cheesiest Car on the Lot
When I was 27, I bought my first car, a used stick-shift, and I drove it until I got married. Later, I treated cancer with equal...
I'll Know. But Until Then, I Won't
San Francisco blurred by. A guy was washing his hair next to a port-a-pottie in front of the Civic Venter. At the red light, I watched...
Who Took My Shoes
A doctor came in with a needle in his hand. “This is going to hurt,” he said. He did little to hide the sadness he felt about the pain he...
Girl Scout Gone Rougue
“We’ll wear tan pants,” the troop leader said. “And matching T-shirts.” Oh no. I thought. This is going to be a challenge. When my...
I Let Go
When I thought I was going to die, grief blinded me. Not really for myself. I’ve had a pretty good run. My stroll into adulthood was...
Tatted. Stained. Badass.
I don’t look like a Bad Ass. I look more like a librarian. English teacher. PTO mom. It’s not on purpose; I just have that look. But I’m...
Cancer’s Other What If's
Cancer brings a cycle of unwanted questions. What if it spreads? What if it comes back? What if I die? Last week, I had a little medical...
