I will gladly wait in line for my favorite Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks but don't ask me to give myself plenty of time to achieve my latest goal because I will roll my eyes and sigh faster than you can say, "give yourself time." We live in an on-demand, 30 minutes or your money back kind of world, and it can be discouraging when our success doesn't happen overnight. But that's how life is beyond the advertisements. Most of it took blood, sweat, tears, and most importantly, time…

How much do you know about Sarcomas? I didn't know a thing before being diagnosed with a rare one that only affects an average of four people in the entire country…

Have you said it out loud yet? - It's not fair - what happened to me isn't fair - I did not deserve this - It's the truth, and you don't need to pretend it isn't a valid thought. You've probably been thinking about it since day one, but in an effort to avoid any self-pity, you kept it to yourself, and I bet that hasn't helped…

I was going to write about something else this week. Then I got a news alert on Friday morning that changed everything. It read "Roe v. Wade Overturned." I knew this could happen, but I guess I didn't think it actually would. I sat there in shock for a moment as I read the news, and then my mind began to flood with the potential repercussions of this ruling. As if women weren't already treated unfairly in terms of sexism within the workplace, harassment, underrepresentation in government, and positions of power, now we were being stripped of our right to make decisions about our OWN bodies. A right that women fought for AND WON in the early seventies…

On days like today, it really hits me. The way my Dad smelled after at least five generous sprays of cologne—only the finest fragrances options on his bathroom counter. His full head of salt and pepper hair perfectly styled with a round brush and blow dryer. His favorite polo t-shirt, either blue or pink, and an ironed pair of guess denim jeans; he always took longer to get ready than I did…

Alone with nothing but my thoughts and the city, getting lost in the store windows, stopping only to capture the moment with a great photo and bottling it all up for later use on a rainy day. The comfortable shoes on my feet enough to keep me going. My knee, steady, and allowing my stride to match that of strangers as I cross the busy streets. My heart, full of adventure and ready for whatever the next few blocks may bring…

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…