I am a performing artist and 2x lymphoma and brain cancer survivor. I was diagnosed when I was 18-years-old and at 26-years old, I am now 5 years in remission and 7 months cancer free!
My first journey took me through chemo, radiation and 16 surgeries. During this time, I chose to stay in full-time music school as I knew I needed to continue doing what I loved rather than sitting in a hospital bed waiting to die.
After going into remission for 2 months, I was diagnosed a second time and deemed terminal. I decided not to continue treatment, so I could live out my time feeling fully myself. I began to adopt the perspective that if this cancer was meant to kill me it would, and if it wasn’t meant to kill me, it was meant to teach me a lesson. So I decided to find that lesson, learn through it, and apply it to my life.
I began therapy, working through losses I’ve had, childhood traumas, depression, and suicide attempts. I also started thinking of the science of my body and how I could create an environment that cancer cells couldn’t live in, such as making my body alkaline and my blood oxygenated.
Cancer is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It has given me the ability to love myself, to ask for help, and to heal wounds that held me back from feeling worthy of love. Being in remission and looking “healthy” now to others can turn this into an isolating and invisible disease. So as a survivor, I feel it is my responsibility to give support to those still fighting, honor those who have been taken, and spread awareness to our supporters.
[mashshare]Tell others in our community about yourself and your journey, and consider sharing great moments and lessons learned to help them become MORE THAN cancer.
Experience inspiring stories from our patients, family caregivers, physicians and others.
Tell others about yourself and your journey; inspire them to be MORE THAN CANCER.
Given the opportunity to heal, our bodies have superhuman powers.
by Katie Bobka
I would soon be putting my M16 down and picking up the harsh treatments of chemotherapy
by Brandi Benson
She made sure we celebrated any and all occasions together.
by Geronima Ambe
I love who I am now and I appreciate my body like I never did before.
by Eddi Girardin
This is a challenge I'm intending to smash and come out stronger than ever!
by Jer Este
Finally I made it to June 30th, 2020. I got to ring the bell! Finally this type of torture was done and I could move on to the next.
by Jamie Powell