“My Voice” by Kristin King
“Where do you turn when there’s nowhere to go Can’t escape the fear deep down in your soul It paralyzes your heart, stops you in your tracks No one can save you, your future looks black” *Lyrics from ‘No Surrender’ by Dichroic Glass, © 2007 I was 37 years old, happily living life with my […]
“My Voice” by Dorienne Plait
What in the world is a thyroid, anyway? I hardly understand anything my doctors are telling me. Thyroiditis? Nodules? Papillary Carcinoma? Excuse me, but I’m only 17. Can you put these terms more simply, please? And can you stop poking and prodding me and tell me what the hell is wrong with me? I feel […]
“My Voice” by Dr. Stan Steinberg
I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease in 1975 after accidentally swallowing a staple. I was a freshman in college and thought I had the flu, so I had stayed home from school for a few days. A fraternity brother had copied his class notes for me. On Friday afternoon I sat and read the notes […]
“My Voice” by Danielle Nealis
I never realized that I would have a story. It kind of came out of nowhere. About a year after my second daughter was born, I had gotten a hernia that needed repairing. During that repair, the surgeon found a tumor, which was biopsied and sent to Atlanta for diagnosis, since no one at my […]
“Self Advocacy” by Mike Tufo
“Self Advocacy” in “High Quality” Medical Institutions and the importance of making YOUR VOICE heard. An Essay on medical “ignorance” when in a facility “unfamiliar” with YOUR medical history. By Michael D. Tufo, R.T.(CT) ARRT (Synovial Sarcoma/Lung Mets “Survivor” and Medical Imaging Professional.) TO begin with: I have been in the field of Medical Imaging […]
“My Last Two Weeks” by Lynn Lane
I will preface this by saying that I’m writing this in a stream of consciousness with zero editing because that’s how I feel right now. I just want to see what comes out and be as honest as I can in the process. I’m writing this on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 after my day of […]
“My Voice” by Heather Dziczek
I was 31 years old, working out at the gym – something I had finally started doing regularly about 10 months earlier after a largely sedentary life – and had some trouble breathing. While this wasn’t normal for me, it was easy to dismiss since I was exercising. A few days later, when I had […]
“My Voice” by Elaine Koogler
I really truly hate cancer. I hate it because it has not only altered my life (and my body) as a result of four bouts with the disease, but because it has deprived me…and by extension, the world…of the wisdom, enthusiasm, talents and love of those I have lost to cancer. I have even lost […]
“My Voice” by Lisa Boylan
I can now add ‘cancer’ to the long list of things that have defined me. Other things, such as; receptionist for a world-renowned rock band; local television spokes-model; designer of surfing t-shirt’s – those things were much more fun … however they probably didn’t shape me in the way cancer is shaping me now. My […]
“My Voice” by Glenn Gleason
In April of 2007, I was a pretty busy 38 year old guy. I was running Sales and Marketing for a regional Pennsylvania homebuilder, putting in long days and burning the candle pretty hard. I was having some chest pains that I could not figure out and I went to see my Doctor and she […]
“My Voice” by Willette Northup
My cancer journey started Friday, March 13, 2009. I couldn’t believe it, yes Friday the 13th of all days. The month previously I went to my primary care physician and was told that the 4 day migraine that I was experiencing was simply just a sinus infection and was treated for a sinus infection. I […]
“My Voice” by Kim Ferranto
Being a two time cancer survivor before the age of 40 was not “in the plan”. My husband, Pete, and I grew up together. We’ve known one another for 30 years. We are best friends and soul mates, married since 1992. Our children at the time were 9, 7 and 2. Everything was moving along […]
