Last week I spent five magical days between Sonoma and San Francisco with my friends. This girls' trip was the deep breath my soul needed. And as it turns out, my friends are the support system I didn't know I still needed. I went into this trip hopeful yet nervous about how my prosthetic would handle walking on the uneven dirt paths of a vineyard and up the incredibly steep streets of San Francisco. But I wasn't about to worry myself into missing an adventure, and after several major bumps in the road that threatened to cancel our trip, I learned that my friends were just as determined to drink all the wine in Sonoma as I was…

Three times a year, an optical illusion occurs during which the planet Mercury appears to travel backward across the sky. This period is referred to as Mercury Retrograde. Because mercury is known as the communication planet in astrology, astrologists warn of the potential effects this can have on us and all of our relationships. Miscommunication, major shifts in mood, and technology issues are also commonly attributed to mercury retrograde…

Have you ever felt like a dirty penny on the sidewalk? Too tarnished to tell if it was even heads up, scuff marks dulling its shine, no doubt from all the shoes that stepped all over it like it wasn't good luck—just waiting and hoping for rain to wash away its scars and make it new again…

I left my full-time in-office job six months ago to work on my mental health and give myself some much-needed self-care. After working through a cancer diagnosis, fertility treatments, and returning to work three months after an above-the-knee amputation, I was drained…

Some things in life are so awful that you can’t relish in them or you might fall apart. So I’ve learned to make jokes when I can.

In doing so, I discovered a healthy way to cope with a set of very ironic circumstances.

After much thought and consideration, I've decided to refer to the loss of my leg and the cancer that lead to it, as a plot twist in an otherwise predictable story…

If you're experiencing anxiety, can say it out loud and are conscious of where it comes from, you are either pretty in tune with your mental health or have put in the work to get here. Now, how do you stop that anxiety from spilling over into all aspects of your life? …

August is upon us. It's my scan season again, and the forecast is all "should" be well. This week alone, I have done my best to comfort two people who were due for their routine scans. When someone says it's scan day in the cancer community, you drop what you are doing and send them all the love, prayers, and healthy vibes you can summon. You cross all your remaining fingers and toes and hope for the best…

It's hard not to feel defined by a diagnosis. Cancer felt so all-consuming. So did being a new amputee. One day I woke up and realized I wasn't "new" to limb loss anymore. For the most part, I have a grip on my disability and the many accommodations that help me live my life. Thanks to the amputation that removed my tumor, I am cancer-free, and my blood work is within normal ranges. I only need scans once a year at this point. Scanxiety is still alive and well, but now only shows up on scan week instead of every week. My phantom limb pain is gone, and any neuropathic pain is infrequent. So now what? …

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…