Why this divorced mom & cancer thriver works out (and you should too)

My latest via Divorced Moms. Enjoy! Now go out for a run (or a yoga class)...

Hugs, Lizzy

Why Every Divorced Mom Should Be Working Out 

by Lizzy Smith 

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March 30, 2016

In 2012, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (a blood cancer) and immediately left my alcoholic husband. I knew there wasn't a chance in hell that I could ever fight my disease and heal while in an emotionally abusive environment. My daughters and I moved two states away and in with my parents. Never before did I feel the almost primal need to be cared for by my mom and dad. Here I was, 44 years old and I just needed  unconditional love and safety-- a haven. 

I immediately entered treatment, receiving high dose chemotherapy and two stem cell transplants. I also filed for divorce, which turned out to be an extremely high conflict one. In between my stem cell transplants (words cannot describe how hard this treatment is, physically and emotionally), my doctor said I could take a vacation. I almost started crying when he said that. It was a sign that I was still a human, not just a cancer patient and a single mom going through a divorce. I decided to completely cut-off from doctors and attorneys and re-charge. I purchased flex Amtrak tickets and we departed from Salt Lake City in the middle of the night. First stop: Chicago-- an 18-hour trek. I brought along electric blankets and travel pillows. We settled into our seats and slept. When I woke up, I felt tired and “strange,” dizzy. I watched a few movies, read, ate lunch in the dining car, and took long naps.

We arrived in Chicago to sweltering heat and humidity. Intense fatigue and weakness set in. But sitting in our hotel was not an option for me. I was going to push beyond my comfort level and enjoy my trip. For the next 17-days, we toured Chicago, Washington, DC and New York City. And I discovered something really surprising: When I was resting, I felt awful. But when I was up and about, those symptoms nearly vanished. Here I was, just weeks post stem cell transplant and I was walking in extreme heat and humidity (temps were 110-degrees and higher) at least ten miles per day, and enjoying it.

When we got back home, I started preparing for my next transplant. It was also time to start responding to some of the filings my ex had sent along. Big breath. I could no longer ignore life, it was time to face reality again.

The thing is-- I needed to get strong for all kinds of reasons. I needed to heal from my broken marriage, and from the trauma of divorce. I knew I needed to be strong if I was going to beat cancer and win in the divorce process (at the same time, no less!). As hard as it was, that healing meant working out. As weak and as sick as I was, I needed to start somewhere, even if it was one tiny step at a time. One day at a time. Sometimes, a minute at a time. Allowing tears and anger, yes. And then getting up, moving, and kicking fatigue, sadness and side-effects in the ass.

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Staying healthy this summer. 15 tips for having the best summer EVER!

Since last summer I got sick on my vacation in Italy-Croatia-Turkey-Greece and it was not fun, I've decided to go on a mission to be healthy all summer long. I've scoured all my sources for the best tips and I've narrowed it down to 15. The tips are appropriate for everyone, children, adults, cancer survivors... To great health and an amazing summer.

Cheers, Lizzy

15 Tips For Staying Healthy During Summer Months
by Lizzy Smith                    

April 30, 2015

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What is one of the biggest joy-crushers during the summer? Getting sick. Instead of sending your children off to camp, enjoying your summer vacation to its fullest, or hanging at the beach, you're managing backup childcare or staying home with a box of Kleenex and soup. Sound like fun? Of course not. But with a few precautions, you can minimize your and your children's odds of catching a cold.

1. Air out your home! After a winter of closed doors and stagnant air, let fresh air inside. Open windows and doors. Clean and dust. Wash your sheets, comforters and linens. For an added pick-me-up, add some fresh candles or essential oils to make your house smell delicious. Make sure to do the same for your children's bedrooms. Have them help you out and make it a fun experience. (I just finished up a huge cleaning of my nine-year old daughter's room and I was a little horrified at some of the things I found hiding under the bed-- like a partially eaten sandwich.)
2. Use sunscreen at all times. Never leave home without applying sunscreen on you and your children. Don’t forget about your ears, lips, and the tops of your feet! This should actually be part of your routine-- brush teeth, mascara, sunscreen. Always carry sunscreen with you and re-apply throughout the day.
3. Consider getting a skin cancer screening. It is painless and takes just a few minutes. Many insurance plans offer one screening per year for free. You can also try calling your local hospital to see if they are offering free skin cancer screenings. Make sure to have your children screened, too. I just learned of a 17-year old boy who had a nagging skin irritation near his scalp. His mom took him to a dermatologist and it is stage IV melanoma. You can never be to cautious.
4. Make sure to wear a hat or head protection. Burned scalps are painful and dangerous. If you're not wearing a hat, apply sunscreen to the part in your hair to avoid a burn.

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Getting a Colonoscopy and the importance of cancer screenings

My latest via Divorced Moms. I am fighting a horrific cold, bronchitis infection and now have full on laryngitis. I was going wedding dress shopping this afternoon. Now I am rescheduling that appointment. I have literally been sleeping all day. I just got off the couch at 1:30 this afternoon. I hate feeling like this, especially on a Friday. Oh well, hopefully it ends soon. Have a fabulous weekend, dear readers.

Lizzy

Why This Mom Got Her First Colonoscopy And You Should Too
by Lizzy Smith                    

January 16, 2015

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Mandy and I were great friends. We grew up together in high school and we both loved to ski. She had a season ski locker at Mammoth Mountain (California), we both had season ski passes, and we spent countless days driving up to Mammoth to hit the slopes, check out the cute guys, and then going to parties and barbeques afterwards with many of the ski instructors we knew. For my high school graduation, my mom took me, Mandy, and two other friends to Hawaii. That's where this photo was taken. Mandy is wearing the white dress, me in the green and white one. It was very fun.

Fast forward to January 2012 when I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. I told very few people I had cancer. I didn't want to see fear or pity in anyone's eyes. I was going to beat my cancer, I was on a mission, and no one was going to rattle that resolve. Just weeks later, Mandy took the opposite approach. I was perusing Facebook and there she was, announcing that she had just been diagnosed with Stage IV color cancer that had spread to her lung and hip. After the shock wore off and I wiped away a few tears, I called her. I told her that I, too, had just been diagnosed with cancer and we could support each other during chemo and whatever else we needed to endure.

Over the next two years, Mandy and I would text each other. One day, she asked if I would like to plan a fun trip with our daughters for the upcoming Spring, like Disneyworld or the Bahamas. I was all in. But that trip never happened. She past away in June 2014 at the age of 43, leaving behind a husband and two young daughters. Her advice: get a colonoscopy.

Since then, I've always had that in the back of my head. Colonoscopy. But I wasn't 50 years old yet. I didn't have risk factors (though I had no risk factors for myeloma either and I got it anyway). And who wants to have that painful and awful test. But since getting cancer, I'm the most paranoid person on the planet when it comes to health. If I feel sick to my tummy, is it stomach cancer? A headache, brain cancer? A nagging cough, lung cancer? So I finally took the plunge and scheduled it. And while I was at it, I scheduled my mammogram, annual pap, and a skin cancer screening. I would have added a complete blood count panel (a simple blood test) but since I get those every other week as part of my maintenance therapy, I was covered there.

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Believe it or not, I'm grateful for cancer and divorce

Happy Thanksgiving week! It's time to make my annual "grateful" list, which is the topic of my latest Divorced Moms column. Today I am very tired and after posting this, I'm taking a nap and later today, hitting up yoga. Not a bad way to start off my favorite time of year.

This Thanksgiving, I'm Grateful For Cancer And Divorce
by Lizzy Smith                     

November 25, 2014

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It's Thanksgiving week and I think all my Facebook friends are posting a list of all the things they're grateful for. I've decided I don't want to do the expected thing and post my own list. Because if I did, it would include the typical:

1. My daughters
2. My family (especially my parents, who opened their home to me and my two children when I was newly diagnosed with cancer and left my husband)
3. My friends and loved ones
4. The luxury of traveling

...oops! I just started the list that I promised I wouldn't. I think I'll stop right there.

But on Friday, I headed off to my weekly oncology appointment. Though I'm in full remission from multiple myeloma (a blood cancer), I am on indefinite maintenance therapy, which includes a chemo pill that I take daily, and a weekly injection of another chemo-type drug. (Neither of these drugs cause hair loss-- I already went through that!) I also get labs every three months. At that appointment, I got revaccinated. This was necessary because when I first entered treatment, I had two stem cell transplants, which wiped out my entire immune system. So all the vaccines I've had growing up were basically cancelled out. Here I was two years later getting new shots (progress!) because I was finally healthy enough to get them. And as I was sitting in clinic getting one poke after another (seven in total!), I started thinking about the radical direction my life has taken since getting cancer, and, wow, I realize how grateful I am for the experience. I mean, I wouldn't wish cancer on anyone, and I'm not happy I got it. But I did, and cancer was the catalyst for many amazing life lessons and experiences.

So I think I'll make a different kind of "grateful list"-- a list of why I'm grateful for the Cancer Journey.

1. I got a divorce
I wanted a divorce since just months after the wedding. During our dating phase, my husband pretended to be someone he wasn't-- a nice (and sober) guy. Soon, his disturbing personality patterns emerged and a few months later, he confessed that he was an alcoholic-- a highly functioning, closeted, raging alcoholic. Our marriage was a Hell that's hard to describe. And as many times as I asked for a divorce, and dreamt of a world without my husband, I had yet to pull the trigger. The minute I found out I had cancer, that all changed in an instant. I left my husband within days of diagnosis. While divorce sucks, a bad marriage sucks a whole heck of a lot worse. Some people need to be cut out of our lives just like a tumor. My husband was one of them.

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From Divorced Moms: 20 Stress Busters To Boost Your Immune System (And Your Soul)

I almost forgot to post this one! From Divorced Moms...

20 Stress Busters To Boost Your Immune System (And Your Soul)
by Lizzy Smith                    

October 21, 2014

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Stress causes inflammation, which causes your immune system to weaken, which leaves us prone to all kinds of viruses and illness. Here are some tips on how to live a calmer, happier, and healthier life.

1. Exercise
Do not be a couch potato. Especially when we’re fatigued, stressed out and pushed to the brink of insanity, or simply aren’t feeling well, this can be a tough one. Nonetheless, to the extent possible get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. If the weather is decent, get outside. Fresh air and vitamin D is great for the body and soul. Anything you love, go for it! Even walking around Costco will count in a pinch. The important thing is to move around. Exercise releases endorphins, elevates your mood, strengthens your heart, and makes you stronger. These are all fabulous reasons to move, move, and move some more.

2. Sleep
Getting a good night’s rest is essential for health. It’s when your body repairs itself. And it’s also when we emotionally repair and rejuvenate, too. Lack of sleep causes tremendous emotional and physical stress. Take naps when possible and when needed. Listen to your body. You may need six hours or ten hours. Whatever you require, get it.

3. Take Time For You
Do something you love that calms and centers you (and don’t feel guilt for doing it). This can be reading a book, taking a “stay-cation” (vacation in your own city) solo or with a close friend. Take a hot bath or go for a horseback ride or movie. Be selfish, it’s ok. After all, it’s hard to properly care for others if we aren’t taking care of ourselves first.

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From www.myelomacrowd.org: I've just been diagnosed with cancer. Should I tell others? And when?

My latest on www.myelomacrowd.org. An important topic. Getting a life altering health diagnosis leaves our heads spinning, or at least it did mine. The last thing we are prepared to do is share the news with others. Whatever we decide is perfectly ok. There is no "perfect" answer, just what works for you. Go with your gut instinct and make no apologies.

I’ve just been diagnosed with cancer. Should I tell others? And when?

BY LIZZY SMITH

First, there is no right or wrong answer on who you decide to tell about your diagnosis, when, or how. For me, when I was diagnosed in January 2012, I wanted to tell no one except a few people that had to know, which included my boss at work, my parents and brothers, my best friend, and a few others. I was totally focused on winning the battle ahead of me and I had no desire whatsoever to see fear or pity in anyone’s eyes. Just weeks after my diagnosis, my close friend from high school was also diagnosed with cancer and she announced it on Facebook. “I have just been diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer that has spread to my hip and lung. Please pray for me,” she wrote. Which of us was right in our approach? We both were.

Make no apologies to anyone about who you decide to share your cancer diagnosis with, whether it be the world or just your closest supporters. As a single woman who had just entered the dating scene, I struggled with how much of my health I should divulge to someone I just met. Eventually I decided that no one was entitled to know private health information early on and, if things should progress, only then would I share. After about six weeks of dating my boyfriend, I told him one evening about my multiple myeloma. Only then did he learn that my hair was actually a wig. It wasn’t easy but it was the right time and place. Other than lots of questions and curiosity, it didn’t phase him, which if it had, we didn’t belong together anyway. It’s been coming up on three years now that I’ve been living with myeloma and I’m far more comfortable with sharing my health news with others but still, I never meet someone new and say, “Hi, I’m Lizzy and I’m a cancer survivor” either. Myeloma is just one piece of “me” and it isn’t the only thing that defines me. Should you take this same approach? Of course not (unless you want to).

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Divorced Moms: Single Moms and Flu Season. Foods to Charge Our Immune Systems

My latest article on Divorced Moms. Flu season is here and I am endlessly obsessed with my health. I'd write more but I'm packing for a trip and I'm way behind schedule. I leave in the morning on a jet plane to exotic Kansas City, whoohoo! Actually I am very much looking forward to it. I will miss my girls very much but I will be in great company. More details when I get back. Cheers, dear readers, and stay healthy and eat right!

Single Moms And Flu Season. Foods To Charge Our Immune Systems
by Lizzy Smith                    

September 24, 2014

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As single moms, getting sick not only sucks, but it’s really hard to manage kids, job, and yourself. The best option is to, well, just not get sick in the first place. Well, first, there are no guarantees that we'll never get sick, no matter how much we try. That said, there is still a whole lot we can do on our end to give our bodies is maximum ability to fight of germs and disease. And one easy place to start is what we put in our mouths. Since we all eat and drink throughout the day, making good choices is critical.

So I did my research and made my list of the most potent "superfoods" out there when it comes to boosting the immune system. Sure, eating healthy in general is good. But there are “good” foods, and then there are “great” foods. And then there are teas and spices that help, too.

Personally, I’m not a big meat eater, to be honest, but I’m a huge fan of seafood and fish and there’s plenty of those to keep me satiated. Plus, I can add garlic and grilled veggies, and flavor it with, say, cayenne pepper to make it a super nutritional, immune boosting meal (delicious, too). Add a side of black beans and, wow, I’m hungry just thinking about it.

The bottom line is that there are enough options to keep even the pickiest eaters happy (that includes my children). If there’s something that I hate (and, really, I only hate peas, lima beans, chicken on the bone, and raisins, none of which are on my superfoods list), I’ll pick something else.

Eating out is always my biggest challenge but at almost every restaurant, there are always salads (go light on the dressings; I personally like balsamic vinegar and olive oil), grilled chicken or fish, and steamed veggies. No joke, I went to Cheesecake Factory not too long ago and I ordered steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus, and a side of mashed potatoes that I split with my daughter (ok, I confess—I also split a slice of cheesecake). Actually, my lunch choice was delicious and I was really full before a started in on the cheesecake.

Ok, enough about that. Let’s get to that shopping list. I’ll buy as much organic, farm raised, locally grown stuff as possible. It’s always good to support the healthy foods industry, in my opinion.

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Four days of "no sugar"

Today I weigh 133.6. I completed my fourth day of mostly no sugar, processed foods, and GMO foods. I say "mostly" because I have accidentally eaten foods that had bad things in it but wasn't aware of it until after the fact. I am eating tons of calories. I eat and eat and eat. I have only craved sugar once and that was last night. I was very tempted to eat very sugary blueberry bread but I didn't. Instead I ate a tomato with olives and muenster cheese. It tasted good.

But before I get more into all of that, I must complain. My head will not stop pounding. Total sinus headache for, like, 10 days. Oh.My.Gosh. Yesterday, I just couldn't take it. I called my favorite spa, The Brick Canvas at Thanksgiving Point, and headed off for a 90 minute facial. It was the best facial I've had in my ENTIRE life. From the heated table, to steam, to massage, to eucalyptus essential oils. It helped. Well, sort of. I came home, took a shower and accidentally dumped shampoo into my eye. It felt like knives were stabbing me. I was in the shower wimpering. I didn't even bother to dry my hair. By the time it dried, my curly crazy hair was, like, out to 'here'. I put it in a big scrunchy pony and that was that. I am using my Past Tense essential oils, taking Claritin and Ibuprofin and still that headache WILL NOT GO AWAY. And going sugar free isn't helping.

Sigh.

So how am I eating these days? Well, today I started off with scrambled eggs, half an avocado and a tomato. Except most tomatoes are GMO (thanks, Monsanto!). I drank big water with lemon. I always have a smoothie but I don't have them for breakfast anymore. I find it a great snack mid day when I am HUNGRY and need something sweet. Yesterday, I had my smoothie at 3:00 with almond butter and banana and coconut milk. Today my smoothie will include pineapple, banana, and strawberries. I'll throw some chia seeds in it and flax seed oil, too. Also, I love oatmeal for breakfast or eggs. Last night for dinner, we went out to eat. I ate a huge salad with a hardboiled egg and olive oil and balsamic vinegar, vegetable cream soup (was there sugar in it? I hope not but it is possible), and some bread (I should have skipped the bread). I came home and ate lots of pine nuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds. I also ate a Baby Bell. I should probably stay away from dairy but I can't cut everything out. I don't eat a lot of dairy-- just eggs, some cheese, and cream in my coffee. I am going to try and get off coffee this summer. I'd like to switch to herbal teas but there is something so soothing and satiating about coffee. It's my comfort food.

For dinner tonight, I'm making sole, mashed potatoes (from scratch) and grilled green beans. Or, if I don't feel like doing green beans (my daughters love them so much they can eat the whole thing between the two of them), I'll do a ton of grilled spinach with garlic, balsamic, and some fresh parmesan cheese on top. Yum. For lunch today? Not sure yet. I will make that smoothie and probably get a coffee as soon as I get out of the shower. Maybe some hummus, bread, and walnuts. That actually kind of sounds good.

This week is just turning out to be insanely busy. It always is right before a big trip. And my torso still aches, though it seems to ache a bit less. I'm still tired and fatigued. I will not give up on this "no sugar" thing. I really hope it helps with fatigue and pain!!! I switched my clinic appointment from Friday to Thursday. Siena has her end of the year dance festival. Saturday I will do piles and piles of laundry, and on Monday, we will begin packing. Please I need to get on a plane and go away and refresh and rejuvenate and recharge and see new parts of the world. I need it very, very badly. Let the summer begin. No more homework packets, carpools, early out days (I HATE MONDAYS. THE KIDS ARE HOME AT 1:20 AAARGH!!!!!!!!), schedules, waking up early, all of it. No more structure for a while. I am so over it.

And that is today's rant. I am now going to take a shower and try to do something with this insane hair that I have. I used to have straight hair. Now it is tiny little curly ringlets. It's a struggle but at least it's hair. I love hair. Yes I do.

My week of "no sugar" and processed foods begins

On Friday, I started off my week (or longer) of absolutely not sugar, sugar substitutes or most processed foods. There are some foods that come in a package that have just a few ingredients that are perfectly safe and fine. I'm also, to the best of my ability, staying away from anything GMO. So far, so good. The tricky part is that those terrible additives are lurking everywhere so while I haven't been perfect, it's because I've realized after the fact that yucky things are hiding in my seemingly safe foods.

On Friday, I weighed in at 135.6 pounds. I am 5'8". I ate oatmeal with flax seeds, chia seeds, and loads of organic berries and bananas. I went to my clinic appointment (which ended up taking four hours oh my gosh), got hungry and ate an organic granola bar (which I will never eat again because it had some sugar in it). For lunch, I ate a spinach salad with watermelon and broiled catfish. They drizzled it with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and after a taste, realized that the drizzle was sweetened. See? It is hard staying away from sugar. They put it everywhere so that we eaters become totally addicted to the food and eat more of it. It is poison. It is more addictive than cocaine. That is no lie. In the afternoon, I ate cashews and organic apples. And for dinner, I found the most amazing sprouted organic whole grain baguette and dipped it in organic hummus that I sprinkled with curcumin and olives and big huge shrimp. The problem is that I dipped some of the shrimp in cocktail sauce that has, you guessed it, sugar. I then went to Costco and was talked into buying $24 of AmberLyn chocolates because, they said, had no sugar, no sucralose and no artificial sweeteners. Except, it is sweetened with maltitol, which is not good. So I'm not eating anymore. Yes, they tasted yummy but I do not want to eat this shit.

Oh well, I am trying!

On Saturday, I weighed in at 134.8 pounds. I ate oatmeal, and grilled veggies, hummus, shrimp, smoothies... I ate and ate. In the morning, I met my friend from high school, Beth, and we went to a seminar taught my another friend of ours from high school, Susan. The entire class was about "inflammation, the silent killer." And guess what the number one poison is? Sugar! It was very fun and informative. In fact, when William gets back home, I am going to (try) and schedule a private cooking class with this girl and maybe do a group cooking class at her home where she picks veggies out of her garden and cooks and we all enjoy a glass of vino and eat the spoils. Sounds fun, eh? Me thinks so!


Beth, Susan and I after the class hosted by Susan's company. It was called Inflammation, The Silent Killer. It's always fun hanging out with girls from my childhood. I love them and we go so far back.

After our class, Beth and I went and ate Ethiopian food. It was good, different, and Beth and I got to catch up a bit. She works at the University of Utah medical center, which is just a stone's throw from the Huntsman Cancer Institute where I am treated yet we rarely have time to connect for lunch. Pathetic to be sure but at least we got to see each other on Saturday. And it was awesome seeing Susan. Interesting side note: In college, Susan and I were driving through the Nevada canyons in December and we got in a terrible car accident. It was a very bonding moment for us and an experience I will never forget.

On Saturday evening the combo of my sugar crash and crashing early from my Dex was a very bad combo. Siena, exhausted and cranky, had a bit of a temper tantrum and while she was in the tub washing her hair and having a total meltdown, her nose started bleeding. It looked really frightening and it ended up being a really horrible way to end the day. I went to bed feeling like the most evil, awful mother and human being in the entire world. Thank goodness that today has (so far) gone so much better. Lots of extra love and cuddles and kisses. Parenthood has it's challenges.

Today I weighed in at 134 pounds. Let's see how this whole "no sugar" thing goes. I'd love to weigh 130 pounds by our trip so that when I gain 10 pounds I don't look like a walking oompa loompa. Or, maybe if I follow William's lead, I won't gain a lot of weight at all. But I am also really curious to see if the inflammation I feel around my rib cage almost all the time will go away. That would be so nice. Or if I can feel less fatigue on my fatigue days. Or if my chemo brain will ebb a bit. Granted, many of the side effects I just mentioned are because I'm on heavy duty drugs and maybe nothing at all will help. But I do know that sugar does nothing for me physically and probably does a ton of harm.

Back in my prior life, pre diagnosis and pre split from my husband, I obsessed with baking and desserts. I loved to bake and bake and bake and eat lots of cookie dough. A few months ago, I decided I was going to bake a birthday cake from scratch from my dad. I found the perfect recipe and Siena and I put on our baker's aprons and off we went. I started frosting that cake and it looked awful and I wasn't into it. As my daughters looked on in horror and disbelief, I chucked the whole thing in the garbage and we drove off to the bakery and bought a cake instead. It's just not me anymore. Interesting.

Tonight I am making a caprese and chicken baguette sandwich and a shrimp/mango/avocado salad. For dessert, we're having "ice cream" from my trusty Yonana machine. That ice cream will actually be simply a frozen banana with berries on it. Now that is a dessert I can live with and enjoy guilt free.

My life's path

I just finished having a very fun and productive lunch with my friend K. Together, we are going to help women live better, more productive, and healthier lives. I am excited. I feel empowered and optimistic today.

So after a little thought (like 30 minutes of thought), I am putting together my life's goal. I have found my passion and sharing and helping others is what matters to me.

So my goals are:

1. Helping other domestic abuse victims. I want to help others recognize abuse and find the courage to leave it behind. I will accomplish this by writing and speaking publicly about my experiences.

2. Health (emotional, physical and spiritual): There is a powerful mind-body connection and conventional medicine is just one small piece of it. I will help others achieve their optimal health in any way I can. I will do this by writing on my blog, participating in radio programs, attending and organizing seminars, and practicing what I preach.

3. Making a difference in the cancer community: Helping other cancer warriors, their caregivers and their families to beat this disease is imperative. We warriors are so much more powerful than we think and, in many cases, we can work in tandem with the medical community to achieve maximum results.

4. Healthcare: Other than food and shelter, there is nothing more important than having access to quality healthcare. Hence the need for good health insurance. In this country, we are at a critical juncture in the healthcare debate and I want to make sure my story is told loud and often. So share I will! I will continue meeting with political leaders, writing, and speaking about my story.

I feel like now that I've shared this with you, I am on a mission. Firmly. Moving forward. 

Dear Cancer...