“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 […]
“My Voice” by Jasan Zimmerman
I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I know, I’m thirty-three years old, nine years into a “career,” but really, I have no idea what the future holds. Of course, to me, the future is only two or three months down the road, not thirty or forty years. That’s the […]
“My Voice” by Scott Joy
One spring night, I was shocked to find my right testicle was twice normal size. My doctor diagnosed it as a hydrocele. When it kept getting larger, I was referred to a urologist. On June 5, 2003, I had surgery to remove the testicle, now containing a 9 cm tumor. I had already tried to […]
“My Voice” by Matt Wakefield
My name is Matt Wakefield, I’m from Birmingham, England and I am a Survivor. I was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer in June 2000, but that was only after ignoring the small pea-sized lump on my left nut for seven months. You know what us guys are like- feeling invincible, and the thought that it may […]
“My Voice” by Brandon ‘Erk’ Erkkila
It all started in the fall of 2005 while I was attending college in Michigan. On September 23rd I was lifting weights with friends and did a little too much on the squatting rack. That night I started to get a bit still and sore in my legs and decided to head to bed. I […]
“My Voice” by Fed Bernal, Ph.D.
11.22.06 Chemical Manipulation of SAH-p53-8 Purpose: To optimize, through asymmetric dihydroxylation of its olefin cross-link, the solubility properties of a stapled peptide that targets the oncoprotein HDM2 in osteosarcoma cells –Laboratory Notebook Number III of Fed Bernal, Ph.D. I literally stumbled into the field of cancer chemical biology. Having been trained as a synthetic organic […]
“Cancer Changes Everything…”by: Alex Hohmann
When I asked Alex to share his ‘voice’ in the ‘Written Word’, I knew it was going to be quite powerful. Alex was the 25th ‘Survivor’ to also share his ‘voice’ on camera in the ‘Video’ section. “Cancer Changes Everything…” …but it doesn’t have to change everything for the worse TC: Round One In 1996, […]
“Play My Cards” by Jesse Hershkowitz
When I met Jesse, a.k.a. ‘Urbalist’, this year, I could immediately tell that he had a very positive and amazing energy about him. His story over overcoming the challenges that he was faced with post diagnosis and what he has accomplished in his career in the Hip-Hop arena is a testament to who he is […]
“My Voice” by: Jaime Coffaro
For months I was feeling ill all the time. After many visits to my GP she was convinced that I was either pregnant or depressed. I suppose that is all that is thought of when a seemingly healthy 26 year old is complaining of extreme fatigue, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and memory issues. Every specialist gave […]
“Just a Little Different” by Karin Gehm Barrett
Karin Gehm Barrett – ‘Survivor’ My life as I knew it Was there in front of me Every day the same But just a little different Then one day there was a pain There was a feeling of unease Of being uncomfortable Things were happening that were just a little different My belly was huge […]
“I’m a Survivor” by Jomaly Duran
When I had asked Jomaly to submit a poem for the “Written Word” she had told me about the first piece: “I’ll Be Fine” that she had written during her treatment. I had asked to also contribute a piece that was written from her perspective today on being a ‘Survivor’. Below you will see her […]
“I’ll Be Fine” by Jomaly Duran
“I’ll Be Fine” Simple cold, at least that’s what I thought, Doctor visit, emergency room 25 tubes of blood, two chest x-rays, MRI Final analysis, bone marrow and spinal tap Back aches, head aches, visits from people that I love Nurses checking my vitals every 10 minutes, sleepless nights Disgusting Hospital food and smells Backless […]
