One of the wonderful things I discovered from doing this blog is that it makes the world a smaller place. Looking at my stats, I see that we’ve had visitors from more than 60 different countries. I’ve heard from visitors from Romania, the UK, Argentina and most recently, from Carlita of the Netherlands.
Carlita commented on one [...]
I’ve enjoyed making new Facebook friends as a result of my “dog and pony show” for From Incurable to Incredible. Here’s a comment I received the other day from another incredible survivor, Kristin Shrader (who be-friended me after hearing my WLW interview):
I was diagonosed with breast cancer in Nov. 2005. I’ve been fighting ever since. On [...]
Things have been moving at crazy pace lately as we continue to launch From Incurable to Incredible. I’ve been preparing for the TV appearance this weekend, as well as a radio interview on July 6 at 2 p.m. with Bill Cunningham on WLW 700-AM in Cincinnati. In related news, Joseph Beth Booksellers will start carrying [...]
I met Michelle Diekmeyer through a mutual friend and decided to have lunch last week. We had a really nice conversation and found we share much in common, in addition to the “C” word.
In 2004, Michelle noticed her breast was red and painful. She was treated with antibiotics until the pain was so bad she was on heavy [...]
Sometimes Twitter provides a golden nugget amid announcements about where someone is having coffee and people (like me) touting their own services. No, seriously Twitter is a great way to find articles and other helpful information you would have not otherwise discovered!
@Cancerthriver (that’s her Twitter name for all of you uninitiated in the ways of Twitter!) [...]
Sometimes God gives you a little lift when you need it. I was having a tough time last week–my friend Maria died of breast cancer and my brother was rushed to the hospital for a stroke. (He’s doing fine, by the way.) In the midst of my sadness and stress, I received this message on my [...]
As I was saying in my previous post, I had a great time at the Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer conference this past weekend in Atlanta. I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere with so many women in one place.
So imagine my surprise when I boarded the hotel shuttle and the first person I [...]
A while back, I found the AARP video from Twitter showing cancer survivor Mary Jacobson pulling a plane. I knew I had to include Mary in my book. Here’s the link because you won’t believe it unless you see it: http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/reinventing/articles/mary_jacobson.html
At 55, Mary holds the world’s Strongest Woman title in her age group. But back in 1995, she was [...]
Tomorrow is my “little” girl’s birthday. She will be 11, sniff, sniff! She always enjoys the time leading up to her birthday when I tell her stories of my pregnancy and labor. “At this time, 11 years ago, we were waiting for you to make your debut, but you weren’t ready yet. (she was five [...]
With Valentine’s Day behind us, I wanted to reflect on the title of this post. It seems like an odd statement to make, unless you hear it from Evan Mattingly. Evan started following me on this blog, and I soon noticed his positive, encouraging comments. He finally contacted me with his story, which I’m sharing [...]
With Valentine’s Day soon upon us, I wanted to share another story from my book, which I think exemplifies the healing power of love – especially self-love.
Patty Mele has had to overcome many challenges in her life – the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in college and a son (Andrew) with mitochondria, a metobolic disease that [...]
The last couple of months, quite a few people have contacted me through this site to share their stories. I really wish I could fit them into my book, but I’m determined to meet my editor’s deadline and finish it finally. Who knows, I may do a sequel with more stories!
Shannon Wood, age 30,was diagnosed with stage IIIC [...]
I am so excited to report that Mary Jacobson, a world-champion Strongest Woman and miracle survivor is going to be in my book. I interviewed her today, and you won’t believe her story! I’ll share more in later posts, but in the meantime, take a look at this video that AARP (her employer) produced and [...]
Flowers – and love – do have power.
It’s in the teens here on this gloomy, winter day. What better time to think about spring with all it’s beautiful, fragrant flowers?
Miracle Survivor, Susan Farmer, was facing an extremely gloomy period of her life in 2001 when she was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer. Debilitated from treatments [...]
As some of you may have noticed, I’m not posting as frequently. I’ve been out of town a lot and now I’m on deadline to get my manuscript finished for my book, From Incurable to Incredible: Cancer Survivors Who Beat the Odds.
The good news is that I’m going to have more Miracle Survivor stories to share [...]
As difficult as it was to receive a cancer diagnosis, I always said to myself, “Thank God it was me and not my daughter.” So I can only imagine the turmoil Deirdre Carey experienced when she was told her beloved six-month-old Charlie had an extremely rare form of brain and spinal cancer. Worse yet, Charlie was given a [...]
In 1993 when Ann Fonfa was first diagnosed with an early-stage, slow growing breast cancer, chemotherapy wasn’t an option. She was experiencing severe allergic reactions to chemicals, and doctors felt it would do more harm than good. Frustrated about the lack of alternative options, she started to gather a wealth of information on complimentary practices.
In 1999, her [...]
I just returned from a little holiday shopping and feel one step closer to being done. My daughter reaps the rewards of coming from a multicultural household: eight presents at Hannukah, plus all the gifts under the Christmas tree. But it means a lot of shopping for me.
I’m not complaining. Again, I step back and [...]
I met Greg Barnhill and his wife Sue in a BBQ restaurant near Houston while I was in town visiting my aunt, uncle and cousins. Even before our meeting, I could tell Greg was a man of patience and kindness. I think I changed our meeting place and date three times!
So it was no surprise to learn [...]
Denny and Theresa Seewer
Denny Seewer and his wife Theresa, live in a small town called St. Marys, my husband Mike’s hometown. We’re heading to St. Marys for Thanksgiving, so I thought it would be a perfect time to share this Miracle Survivor’s story.
Back in 1975, Denny was young husband and father of a baby boy. He [...]
