Responding to “freeze” mode
I often think about how we respond to fear with either a fight, flight, or freeze response. I can immediately identify when I go in freeze mode. My heart drops. My breath gets caught. My chest constricts. My jaw clenches. I pass a Baylor Scott & White…freeze. I see a post about cancer recurrence…freeze. I…
Countdown to labs
I had a blissful four months of zero cancer-fearing thoughts after hearing that I transitioned into remission! However as I recently flipped through my calendar to September, I was reminded that my six-month checkup is right around the corner. The only reason I’m anxious for this appointment is because we are getting labs done for…
Embracing Good News
On February 25th, I received my 1-year scan results that showed no thyroid cancer cells remaining anywhere in my body. Pair that with my blood work which revealed “undetectable traces of disease”, I went from an active cancer patient to a woman in in remission just like that! Hallelujah! Sharing this good news was one…
Scanxiety
Scanxiety is defined as “the stress and anxiety that cancer patients feel when waiting for scans and the results of those scans.” I joke about the slang with my cancer community but at the end of the day, when I’m laying in bed and counting down the days until I have to go in for…
Triggered Trauma
Is it too much to ask for a normal doctors appointment where ZERO red flags come up? 😅 I had my well-women’s exam at the gynecologist about two months after finishing RAI. I was coming to terms with the bodily changes I was going through, and was trying to stay positive about healing from this…
Work & Illness
Managing an illness and managing a career simultaneously is, to put it simply, exhausting. The constant pressure to perform, deliver excellent customer service, and simply show up can seem impossible when dealing with your own private nightmare. I was working for Hyatt as a hotel manager when I was being tested, scanned and biopsied for…
The "Good" Cancer 