If I wanted to dwell on just how toxic cancer is, I could list hundreds of things it took from me. I could tell you a million things it took from my friends. But we don't go down that rabbit hole because there is nothing for us there. I'm sharing only these five things because I work to manage them every day, like a ghost that can't be banished…

I’ve had a tight group of friends since college. In those days, we held each other up as we stumbled home from the bars. Since then, we have held each other up through some of life’s other stumbles, including divorce, cancer, infertility, loss of parents, raising children with special needs, and plenty of other life-altering events.

Including limb loss…

May 2022, mental health awareness month hits different this year. We are traveling again, masks mandates have been lifted in many places, and we are somehow supposed to start living "normally" again.

Right. What is normal? I can't seem to remember at this point. The impact that COVID, lockdowns, financial strain, and the loss of so many lives have had on us has been felt across the globe like a domino effect toppling over our wellbeing and leading to significant mental health struggles…

I married my husband in Paris. It was like a dream: cobblestone steps, baroque architecture, and the flakiest croissants in the world…Five years later, sudden news of a cancer recurrence and the decision to amputate my right leg above the knee rocked our world in ways we never expected…

I want to preface today's post by stating that not everyone wants to or can become a Mother, and I could argue for days about how we should never value a woman based on their ability or decision to carry a child and raise them…

I bet you assumed amputees only wear shorts because they are easier to slide on than a pair of pants and allow them access to make adjustments throughout the day to their prosthesis. You're not entirely wrong…

After a minor crisis where my therapist disappeared from my health insurance platform, I found someone else whose availability worked for my schedule and gave them a shot. After our first session, I was a bit unsure. She spent a good chunk of time writing on a notepad and stopped to ask a couple of basic questions every few minutes. I wondered, "what will I get out of this?" …

Do you have your most awakening thoughts as soon as a good cup of coffee hits your lips? Same. There is something about that magic sip with just the right amount of foam to coffee ratio, sweet and bold, at the same time, that makes me say "Mmmmmm" and close my eyes to soak up the moment with my other senses…

Last month I did the unthinkable, I quit my job. After working in Property Management for the last ten years and growing accustomed to my mind and body being in constant fight or flight mode, I knew I needed to make a change for the sake of my health…

Last night was a challenge in patience, and I didn't exactly do so well. I couldn't get the battery charger for my prosthetic leg to work. I tried for over an hour, and it just wouldn't click into place. Without a charged battery, it's nothing more than a hunk of dead weight for me to drag around. Frustration turned to anger, and anger turned to tears…

Do you remember when you first became aware of what you look like in a mirror, enough to draw the curves and edges from memory? What about the first time you realized others had become aware of how your body looked? Did it feel good to be seen, or did it make you want to crawl into a loose sweater and hide between the knitted strands? …

When we think of the Paralympic games, we think of an inclusive place where disabled athletes come to display their hard work and live out their dreams—a place where the seemingly impossible is made possible. For Brenna Huckaby, professional snowboarder, osteosarcoma survivor, and above-the-knee amputee, the Paralympics had been a place where she won gold for Team USA in 2018 and inspired us all…