Dear 16, Years from now, they will come to you for help making the dance team in college. Years from now, they will come to you needing advice about life. Years from now, the memories of how they are tormenting you will begin to cease, so do yourself a favor right now and forgive them. Forgive them for bullying you. Forgive them for egging your house and your friends’ houses. Forgive them for causing your blood pressure to spike, causing you to miss a round of your scheduled

It was like any other Tuesday.. after my last class, I was walking in the hallway with my best friend getting ready for cheerleading and gymnastics practice. Suddenly, everything was different. I felt a foreign excruciating pain in my stomach, I felt dizzy, and the next thing I knew, I came to in the bathroom and threw up. My best friend called my mom who rushed over to me, and drove me to my primary care physician. During the drive, I could not stop moving. Pain interrupted

Terri Wingham is the founder and executive director of A Fresh Chapter Alliance Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to healing the emotional scars of cancer by blending meaningful volunteer travel with programs designed to reframe adversity, foster connections, and promote personal growth and development. A breast cancer diagnosis at age 30 changed Terri forever, transporting her from corporate life to a foreign world of chemotherapy and surgeries. Emotionally and physically d

Come in as strangers and leave as friends. That is exactly what happened to Anna, April Ann, Camille, Connie, Glenna, Haley, Heather, Katja, Keesha, Kendra, Linda, Lisa, Misty, Shannon, Steffi, Terah and Theresa. In June, 2017 Teal Diva hosted our 2nd Gynecologic {K}ancer Survivor Retreat. You may not have seen an open enrollment to this one. We geared this retreat to those women who were diagnosed under 40 years old. All of our retreats won't be that way but this one need

I do not believe that any of us know why we were chosen for this cancer journey. I was told in early February of 2001, after a bone biopsy, I had endometrial cancer. My gynecologist met with my partner Jo and I to tell us this and what we needed to do to proceed. My Doctor told me that I would have a total hysterectomy and maybe some chemotherapy depending on what stage my cancer was. I had surgery on 2/16/01. What was supposed to be a simple surgery, turned out to be any

The last thing I was expecting at 32 years old was to be diagnosed with cancer. I had 2 young children, ages 6 and 1 at the time. I remember the fear and uncertainty that I experienced as I began the journey through months of medical issues, numerous doctors and countless tests. Initially I was diagnosed with spastic colon and irritable bowel syndrome, and given medicine to control the pain. It was only after my ovary ruptured, which led to a buildup of fluid in my abdom

No to O was founded in 2012 by Jean Ebert and Charlotte Ruth who became friends when both women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008. Their goals were to help other women in similar circumstances and to raise awareness of symptoms of the deadly disease, hopefully leading to earlier diagnoses and more effective treatment options. They also hoped to contribute to research efforts focused on finding a cure. With the support of Jean's husband, Dick, No to O was established

On Nov 5, 2013 I woke up with excruciating pain high in my abdomen. With a little Ibuprofen, I successfully abated the pain and went to work. Unfortunately it returned mid-day, further down in my abdomen and on the left side. Again Ibuprofen put the pain off and I continued with work. That is, until the pain returned again in a way I have never experienced. It was low in my abdomen, and I could barely stand. I felt as though I would pass out at any moment. I do skincare, and

As an ovarian cancer survivor it took a long time for me to tell my story. Now it’s hard to get me to not talk about it. Not everyone is comfortable sharing their story. That’s all good, and I understand that, there are still some parts of my cancer experience that are too personal to share. Every survivor has a story and this is mine. Ovarian Cancer crept into my life with illusive persistence. At the time of my diagnosis I had already endured months of pain and anxiety. My

For as long as I can remember my grandma, Mavrine, was a large part of my life. As a little girl, I loved her so much and knew even at that age she was my best friend. She was sweet, kind, loving, and never met a stranger. My daughter, Kendall, was 7 when grandma passed away but she still remembers her as if she were still here. I used to think about what life would be like without her; what our family would be like without her. I never imagined she would have to hear the