Archive for June, 2009

“My Voice” by Marisa Mir

"My Voice" by Marisa Mir

Jeez, where do I begin?  I could start by going back to July 17, 2002, when I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, but my story really begins in 1972 when I was just a fetus growing in my mother’s belly.  As my body was forming, everything was coming along nicely…except for one thing.  My intestines […]


“My Voice” by Trish Lannon

"My Voice" by Trish Lannon

“Oh, The Places You Will Go!”  My Journey with Cancer “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” ~Dr. Seuss For as […]


“My Voice” by Daniel Braun

"My Voice" by Daniel Braun

April 16th, 2001…the day that changed my life. It was an early Sunday morning and I was on my way to work. I noticed a small lump on my neck. I didn’t think anything of it. I went along with my day, but the lump kept getting bigger. By days end, I had a lump […]


“My Voice” by Cheryl Molle’

"My Voice" by Cheryl Molle'

My life is a blessing, and I am lucky enough to realize it. Most people go through life not knowing how fragile life is, they don’t know what a gift they have been given, until it is almost taken away. I have always known my life is a gift. My name is Cheryl Molle’, I […]


“My Voice” by Heather Glass

"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

"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

"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

"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 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 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

"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

"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

"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

"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

“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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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 […]