“My Voice” by Heather Glass
My story is different than most. In fact, I hardly feel like a “survivor” at all – I don’t feel like I measure up to all the strong individuals who received their diagnosis, invasive and debilitating treatments, and maybe (hopefully) a good prognosis after all the life-prolonging damage has been done. No, no… that’s not […]
“My Voice” by Jennifer Pates
This is me…. My name is Jennifer (Jenni) Pates. Up until I was 23, I was like every other 23 year old. My main concerns were college, friends, having a good time and of course partying. Then in March of 2003 everything changed. I went in for my yearly pap and came out with cancer. […]
“My Voice” by Jamie Lindsay
Thanks for the lessons, and Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I was born a long time ago and was Jean and Sandy’s bouncing baby boy, James, a.k.a. Jamie. A review of the facts surrounding my arrival might lead one to believe that I was not supposed to be here. You see, seven years before I hit […]
“My Voice” by Brienne Fisher
I had the dream. That’s when I got sort of concerned. I had only dreamt about my body twice in my life, the two times I was pregnant, and having a dream that I had cancer was unsettling at best. I decided it was probably time to schedule my annual and talk with my Ob-Gyn […]
“My Voice” by Julie Blackman
My name is Julie Blackman. I just turned 37 years old May 23, 2009 and I am a Stage 2A Breast Cancer survivor. I have just finished my last radiation a few weeks ago and will start my Tomoxifin treatments soon and will have to take them for five years after that. I always had […]
“My Voice” by Chad Whitman
My story begins in the fall of 2005, just before my 28th birthday. I had a mole that was on the back of my head hidden under my hair. I’d had it my whole life but it had always been just that, a regular mole like all the other ones I have. One day I […]
“My Voice” by Michelle Hastings
As I sit here looking back on the past year, I marvel at where I was, where I am, and what I have to look forward to. A year ago, I was Michelle: mom, wife, daughter, sister, employee, student, etc. I had titles that clearly defined who I was and what was expected of me. […]
“My Voice” by Rachel Miller
A Story of Hope My cancer journey began in Oct. 2000. I was a stay at home mom with a five year old son. My husband and I had just found out we were expecting another baby. We were very excited and looking forward to the new addition to our family. I was only four […]
“My Voice” by Eric Galvez
Evolution Every survivor has a story. This is mine. I worked for two years as a physical therapist before my life changing conversation with my PCP (Primary Care Physician). Before I get into that let me tell you a little bit about myself. I’m the consummate underdog. “You’re too small to play sports.” “Your GPA […]
“My Voice” by Jill Foltz
July 21st, 2003 was the date. It’s funny because I actually have to double check the date. I know it’s July, and I know it’s 20-something but I can never remember the exact date. Not sure what that means, but I’ll take as a good sign. Anyway, that’s when I found out I had breast […]
“First Descents” by Brad Ludden
This is the first entry into the ‘Articles’ section of “Voices of Survivors”. I have asked Brad, the Founder of “First Descents”, to share his story of developing his organization and what makes it so successful for those ‘Survivors’ who take part in the challenge. So without further ado, I give you Brad Ludden. Brad […]
“My Voice” by Suzanne Lindley
The word survivorship gains new meaning after hearing “You Have Cancer.” I had survived many things in the 31 years before those words….being thrown from a horse, an automobile accident, toxemia and the premature delivery of both daughters, and even a pulmonary embolism. Nothing could have prepared me for the decade that would follow those […]
“My Voice” by Gayle Weisman
Today in the Written Word’, we have something a little different. Today, Gayle Weisman, who was the 47th ‘Survivor’ to share her ‘voice’ on camera, has contributed three of her wonderful poems. Each one truly captures what each of us has felt at one point or the other more than likely. After Cancer Avalanche A […]
“My Voice” by Giselle Tejeda
Hello my name is Giselle Tejeda, I’m 23 years old and this is my story…. I was diagnosed with an hemangioblastoma on Oct 31, 2001 in the Dominican Republic after two year trying to convince the doctors to check my brain. After two episodes, where I even lost consciousness, my mom said that even if […]
“My Voice” by Theresa Ameri
In part, the past six years have been an absolute blur. One minute I was in complete control of my life, and the next I was spiraling out of control into chaos. The irony being, of course, that control is one of the biggest illusions. At twenty eight, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It […]
“My Voice” by Alissa Gores
So where to begin? I guess the beginning. In July of 2004, I was diagnosed with “pre-cervical cancer”, my Doctor said it would be fine for me to have kids but I should start right away and after I was done I would need a hysterectomy. I was a little scared, but my Doctor was […]
“My Voice” by Mike Terry
I grew up with a Mother who was an RN, so I learned about cancer at an early age. Mom always told me that the cancer patients who do the best are: “those who are involved in their treatments, those who have a good attitude, and those who can laugh.” So I guess you could […]
“My Voice” by Eric Charsky
What do you get when you are speaking to someone who was born as a “blue baby”, who later at age two drowned and was resuscitated, at fifteen was DOA and knows the feeling of cold paddles being applied to his chest and shocked twice to keep him alive while in a coma for five […]
“My Voice” by Cathy Bueti
I was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer at 31 years old but my survival story begins much earlier. I grew up with a father who was an alcoholic and as a result I suffered abuse as a child. This destroyed my parents marriage and my relationship with my dad. Somehow we all survived and […]
“My Voice” by Thomas Waters
Tommy Waters – ‘Survivor’ Torn Soul I’m haunted like nightmares by never-ending days of anxiety. Sleepless nights of uncertainty about the future take over me. Feeling imprisoned and struggling to find a way to be set free. I remember that one way is to look toward the Almighty. Frequently I’m inundated with confusion and ambivalence. […]
“My Voice” by Danielle Krapinski
In March of 2006, I began experiencing more health problems the most 20 years old have to deal with. It began with backaches, numbness to my right side and headaches that would make me vomit and last for up to three days. Doctors really were just treating the symptoms. The first MRI I had done […]
“My Voice” by Ginny Striewig
I was diagnosed with an Oligodendroglioma, grade I or II in January of 2006 after surgery to remove 60% of it. The remaining 40% was inoperable so I took Temodar (an oral chemotherapy) from June 2006 to August 2007. Remaining tumor is all but gone. I have had MRI’s every three months and there has […]
“My Voice” by Katie Brown
I was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer at age 22. I think because the cancer was found so early and was removed, I didn’t think of myself as a survivor then. The doctors and nurses glossed it over, and aside from the follow up exams that I found annoying, I went about my life […]
“My Voice” by Kendal Seidel
My name is Kendal Seidel. I was diagnosed at the age of 34 with stage 3c ovarian cancer. My story, however, begins much earlier. I was adopted as an infant. My adoptive parents had no knowledge of any negative medical history from my biological family. I began having some “female” problems very early on, almost […]
