Warrior Series: Melody’s CANcer Journey

“Geez! Why won’t that sore go away? Why is it so hard?” I thought to myself as I looked down at the side of my right breast. “It must be mastitis. Although, my youngest is 6 and I haven’t breast fed for a long time… it must be mastitis. I’ll make an appointment to see…

Warrior Series: Tanner Whidden’s CANcer Journey

This summer marks three years since I underwent two ten hour surgeries and 28 rounds of radiation to get rid of the huge cancerous spinal cord tumour that was killing me slowly. The surgeries left me paralyzed from my chest down. I have learned a lot in three years. I have gone from wearing diapers…

Warrior Series: Erin Simpson’s CANcer Journey

January the 13th will forever be a day that will be in my memory. It was the day I was handed the stupid pink bag. I suppose I should start off by explaining what led me to receiving this. October 2015 I found a lump in my right breast and went to my doctor. Since…

Warrior Series: Aislinn’s Ode to my Breast

August 31st 2018 was the day any remaining KNOWN cancer cells would be physically removed. I went into the OR at 11:30AM and was home before dinner – no big deal, right? I remember lying on the operating table holding my breast with my hand under the sheet…. 1 last time. I remember lying there…

Interview Series: Jen Edgecombe, The City of Kamloops

We have decided to try something new and exciting. Although I do love to blog and share about my CANcer experiences, tips and tricks, we have decided to try something different. We have decided to dive into and explore a whole new way to share information with our CANcer community and with every person we touch….

Surviving Survivorship

“I’m a survivor (what?) I’m not gon’ give up (what?) I’m not gon’ stop (what?) I’m gon’ work harder (what?) I’m a survivor (what?) I’m gonna make it (what?) I will survive (what?) Keep on survivin'(what?)” I am a survivor – no longer a CANcer patient. Survivorship is a funny and tricky little thing, as…

Healing in Community

This post comes to you in a time that I see my community widening, broadening and deepening. In a time when all of my hopes and dreams for support and friendship and love are coming true on a daily basis. The feeling is without doubt blissful. May Cause Radiance started in 2016 because the community…

The Words of a CANcer Cheerleader

What I have learned from being a CANcer cheerleader… As anyone can imagine, being on the spectator side of a CANcer journey is one of the most challenging, numbing and fearful things anyone may have to be faced with, next to hearing the diagnosis first hand. I, at seven months pregnant, cried all alone, lost…

Beginning a New Journey: The Becoming of a Teacher

Over this past 16 months, I have evolved and shifted within my own skin so much that I look back at my 16 month-younger self, and I realize how naive, unconditioned and trusting I was. A huge part of this change was distinguishing bad from good. Or rather, choosing whether I perceive situations or experiences…

What is “Radiance”?

Well, that’s a loaded question! But I am so glad you asked… For myself and for our organization, May Cause Radiance, the term radiance has meant various different things and continues to evolve as we explore it further and deeper. What comes to mind when you think of the meaning of radiance? Do you see a vision of…

Sometimes,We Hit the Bottom Only to Shoot to the Top

We have all experienced ailments and injuries, periods in our lives that we made unhealthy food choices, didn’t exercise, were unwell or depressed. To some degree, we all have snapshots in time that we can look back on as being times that our bodies were not running at their optimal levels. This is where blockages…

I Wish that I knew What I Know Now…

Roughly 15 months ago, I was living most peoples worst nightmare. Within the time it took for my doc to utter three quick words, the word cancer went from being a word I studied in my genetics textbook and associated with unfamiliar faces of patient’s stories I mindlessly scrolled over online, to something even more personal than…