 readers to share the most important lesson that cancer has taught them, and their answers ran the gamut. Here, we share some of the most poignant responses:

“Control is an illusion. I was 22 and had my life mapped out, but if it wasn’t for the diagnosis my husband and I wouldn’t have started dating. I’ve learned to let go and love more.” — Rachel

“Each day of life is uncertain. It has certainly taught me how to celebrate small things in a big way and have developed the attitude of gratitude.” — Rashi

“There is no day better than today.” — John

“Always listen to your gut. If something feels wrong in your body, get it checked out and get second opinions.” — Paulina

“Life can be so short and fragile, cherish those who cherish you.” — Traci

“There is life after cancer, but life will never be the same again.” — Aneetha

“I'm too stubborn to let cancer bring me down or finish me off.” — Peter

“It's OK, even necessary, to cry and be emotional. But at the end of the day, you have to pick yourself up and keep going.” — Sarah

“My BS tolerance is non-existent; thus, I have cut ties with some people, and I finally realize ‘taking care of myself’ is not selfish.” — Joanne

“To speak up and educate people about male breast cancer. This was something I had no idea I could get. Let’s save lives!” — Paul

“Keep my circle small, choose myself first, always trust my gut!” — Sari

Articles

Connections

We asked our readers, what is the most important lesson cancer has taught you?

Advice From People Like You

Vickie Shepherd received a stage 1a ductal carcinoma in situ diagnosis in December 2013, mere months into her new marriage. Immediately following surgery to remove the cancer, she began the new year with 37 rounds of radiation over the course of seven and a half weeks, after which she was dubbed a survivor.

In addition to getting monthly checkups to keep an eye out for recurrence, Shepherd found comfort in attending events that surrounded her with other patients and survivors. She attended Susan G. Komen races near her hometown of Amarillo, Texas. She joined 24 Hours in the Canyon Cancer Survivorship Center, a community center available for residents of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, where she took exercise classes and group counseling sessions with people who could relate to her trauma. She found this sense of community invaluable in helping her navigate life after treatment, but she never anticipated the sense of guilt that would also accompany her survival.

“It’s almost self-induced,” Shepherd says. “I keep going to these places because they are places where people understand you. They can be encouraging, and yet you keep seeing these people who are so much worse than you, and you feel bad.”

Shepherd suffers from survivor’s guilt. Sometimes referred to as the “secret burden of cancer survivorship,” survivor’s guilt is a phenomenon defined as experiencing guilt for surviving a life-threatening situation when others did not.

“You almost feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, what is my big deal? I have nothing wrong, and these people are sick, sick, sick,’” Shepherd says. “It just kind of attacks you.”

Most often a reaction to coming safely through a traumatic event such as a car crash, war, natural disaster or losing a loved one to suicide, survivor’s guilt is also common following a cancer diagnosis. A study published online in February 2019 in the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology showed that in a survey of more than 100 lung cancer survivors, 55% reported experiencing survivor’s guilt and 63.9% scored above the mean on the survivor’s guilt scale.

However, this emotional side effect of cancer is rarely discussed, leaving those who are affected inadequately prepared to deal with the complex emotions it can bring.

“It is hard for patients,” says Pam McMillan, a registered oncology nurse specializing in adult survivorship at Harrington Cancer and Health Foundation. “Some patients feel ungrateful because, they say, ‘the doctor saved my life, but here I am having this guilt of living.’ So they don’t always bring it up. It’s one of those things that’s kind of pushed under the rug.”

Further complicating the issue, survivor’s guilt doesn’t present the same way for every person. Some survivors experience the emotions post-treatment, whereas others begin to grapple with the feelings while still in active treatment. “Survivor’s guilt can be triggered by many different things,” says Julie Larson, former director of young adult programming at CancerCare and a licensed clinical social worker in private practice. “It’s not just one thing.”

Many survivors report feeling guilty over receiving a lesser diagnosis or going through a less rigorous treatment plan than someone else. “Even as soon as diagnosis, some patients start to think, ‘Well, maybe mine isn’t so bad,’” McMillan says.

Others feel guilty about having a strong support system when others aren’t as fortunate, being a burden to their caregivers or even learning that they are BRCA positive, knowing that their loved ones may be affected by some- thing similar down the road.

Joe Ruiz learned he had renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, in November 2016. After removing the left kidney, his doctor felt confident that the cancer was eliminated. But after a December follow-up appointment with an oncologist, Ruiz was hit with unexpected news.

“I was told that it was stage 3, there was a greater than 50% chance of it coming back, and there was nothing we could do,” says Ruiz, who lives in Lubbock, Texas. “It just blew me out of the water.”

Ruiz started getting CT scans every three to six months. In October 2017, he learned another piece of devastating information: Two nodules were in his left lung.

“I have to look at my life in six-month segments. Meanwhile, I miss out on  a lot of things because I don’t want to get myself overly involved, and I don’t want other people to get overly involved with me,” Ruiz says. “My mom died of cancer, and I saw everything she went through ... as well as what it put my dad through (as her caregiver). But I also can’t say that I feel sorry for myself, either. (I don’t have to look very far to) see people very much worse off than I am.”

Even though cancer has left him feeling isolated, withdrawn and sapped of energy, Ruiz considers himself lucky because he hasn’t had to undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy. This, too, is a normal reaction to survivor’s guilt: a complicated cocktail of emotions, experienced by both Shepherd and Ruiz, that manifests itself in two ways.

The various symptoms of survivor’s guilt include flashbacks; irritability, anger, or fear and confusion; trouble sleeping; reduced motivation; and headache, nausea or stomachache.

Jennifer Bires, executive director at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, says it’s important for people to pay attention to their feelings, then try to identify their cause in a supportive environment. “Anytime we can put a label or name on something, it allows people to voice it and know that it’s normal,” says Bires, who is a licensed independent clinical social worker with certification in oncology. “If it’s not named, sometimes people think that they are the only ones feeling this way; then they’re afraid to bring it up. But talking about it is the first step to managing those feelings.”

That discussion can be difficult for survivors. When Shepherd mentions her feelings to friends or family, she is sometimes met with confusion or outright dismissal. “It’s very hard to tell just anybody about it because you feel guilty, and you don’t want somebody to know your weakness,” she says. “They might just go, ‘Oh, whatever, you’re silly.’ But you also don’t want someone to think: ‘Do you not feel blessed?’ Because sure, I feel blessed, but I also feel guilty.”’

Larson emphasizes that survivor’s guilt does not negate feelings of gratitude or appreciation; it is never one emotion or the other. Still, as Shepherd explains, identifying feelings of guilt can bring on feelings of shame, causing further isolation.

The stigma surrounding survivor’s guilt seems to be lifting, thanks to a nationwide shift in the way the public thinks and speaks about mental health in general. Larson has noticed that more conferences are requesting her to speak on the topic and oncology professionals are starting to recognize it, even if that awareness hasn’t fully permeated into the public just yet.

To help survivors feel less alone, cancer care and survivorship centers have become sanctuaries where people can surround themselves with others who can relate and understand, making it easier to acknowledge and discuss those uncomfortable topics.

For instance, CancerCare, the leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical and financial challenges of cancer, offers online and in-person support groups for survivors.

“If you have a survivorship center of any kind near you, it is so helpful,” Shepherd says. “It’s hard to go to the first time ... but it helps you to be able to talk about it.”

Ruiz agrees: “The survivorship center is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.”

In addition to group sessions, many survivorship centers offer activities, such as exercise, art and nutrition classes. Smith Center focuses on visual arts, journaling, dance and yoga, as well as nutrition, traditional support groups and cancer health retreats. Many survivors describe these activities as “life changing,” helping them to heal emotionally.

Giving back to others also shows promise in combating survivor’s guilt. “Many of the survivors I work with, on some level, are working to find some meaning in this crazy cancer experience,” Larson says. “They are wondering, ‘Why has this happened to me, and what do I make of it?’”

Survivors need not start an organization, run every 5K or gather thousands of dollars in fundraisers, Larson stresses, nor must they give back to the world of oncology.

However, guilt can be a powerful reminder that survivors have been given a second chance, and they can use it to make a meaningful difference in the world moving forward.

When it comes to navigating life during and after cancer, it is important to recognize that no two stories are the same. “Every cancer journey is (that person’s) own book to write,” McMillan says. “We can’t compare notes (with) other survivors. Your story is unique, and we have to be grateful for the good things we have.”

Professionals like Bires, Larson and McMillan agree that, after acknowledging guilt and accepting that related feelings are valid, people suffering from survivor’s guilt should seek out a support system, engage in healthy activities and channel their feelings into a positive way of giving back.

It’s also important for survivors to extend themselves grace. “If you view surviving cancer as a gift and you start to wonder, ‘Well, what do I do with that gift?’ what kind of pressure does that put on you to constantly live life to the fullest and find meaning?” Bires asks.

When survivors have an off day, instead of dismissing or being ashamed of those feelings, simply acknowledging and accepting them can go a long way.

“When we beat ourselves up over having those heavier and darker feelings, in some ways, that’s not helping,” Larson says. “Like any feeling, it deserves attention. It’s amazing how much healing just even acknowledging something and accepting it can give ... just by talking about it and feeling understood. It doesn’t mean it takes away the discomfort, but at least it tells you that what you’re feeling makes a whole lot of sense.”

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to 

Feature

The darkness of survivor’s guilt can arise at any point, but there are ways to lighten the load.

The Secret Side Effect of Survivorship: Survivor's Guilt

During his 30 years as a referee, Kerry Fraser skated among NHL greats, observing the action and enforcing rules. But, he admits, he wasn’t listening to the signs his own body was giving him regarding his health. After he retired, Fraser found himself fighting an incurable blood cancer revealed during routine bloodwork.

He is living with essential thrombocythemia, a type of myeloproliferative neoplasm that causes the body to overproduce blood platelets. Fraser’s week now consists of nine chemotherapy pills, one daily and two on Mondays and Fridays, but says he was handed “the light pail” of cancer diagnoses. In an interview with Heal ®, he discussed his diagnosis, his new normal and his biggest reason to live: his family.

Fraser: It was an accident that (the cancer) was able to even be diagnosed. I had a fatty cell in my bicep — I looked like Popeye &mdash; (so) during my NHL career, I would see various doctors. I saw the New Jersey Devils doctor when it first started to get large, and he said, “No, it’s just a fatty cell. Get your cholesterol checked.” I have hereditary high cholesterol levels.

But after I retired, this thing started to get bigger, and it felt like it was impinging on my bicep, and so I wanted to get it out. (I had) preop blood work. My general practitioner called me, and he said, “We’ve got a problem here.” He said that he had to get me to a hematologist. My platelet count was over the top. I didn’t know it, (but) it could have resulted in a heart attack or a stroke through a blood clot.

My wife booked me into a cancer clinic, Fox Chase (Cancer Center). I saw a hematologist there. After blood tests and other things, he brought my wife in for the next consultation and said, “Well, we know what you have. It’s a cancer, and it’s in the leukemia family.” My wife fell apart. As the husband, the protector — all of the jock &mdash; the hockey guy, I wanted to manage my wife’s pain level in this. So I took a breath and I said, “OK, doctor. How do we manage this? What do we do?” So he gave me some insight as to length of life span. ... He said that (I) have the JAK2 mutant gene in (my) bone marrow and it’s causing the platelet count to flood. But he said there are ways we can control it. I said, “OK. I want you to be the captain of my team.”

From that point, we had to go tell family. I had to bring my wife’s temperature down. I wanted them to know that Dad and Papa is going to be OK and that this is just a little thing we have to work through. So I told all of our kids and grandkids. Then Kathy and I went away, just to get away. We went to Aruba, our favorite little island. The first day in Aruba, it finally hit me, and I had a down day and I started to feel depressed. Again, the hockey mentality kicked in, and I said to myself, “Wake up. Let’s get this under control. Let’s do some work.”

I went down to the health club. I rode the bike for 12 or 15 miles. I felt like a million bucks and had a whole different attitude. There (are) ups and downs, but I’ll tell you, you can manage this, and you have to manage your emotions, which I learned on the ice.

(I got it from) the community, and the support you get is crucial. I got a call from Bobby Orr, No. 4 of the Boston Bruins, a Hall of Fame legend. He’s arguably one of the best to ever play the game, certainly at the defense position, without question. I got calls from all over. Mark Messier phoned me, the captain of the New York Rangers who won The Cup. The Moose said to me, “Hey, listen, Fras, keep fighting.” Mark Messier was a fighter, and he gave me that sort of advice. When you have a support system and network and family — I look at my grandchildren, my kids &mdash; it spurs me on every day. I want to be here as long as I can. So far, we’re doing great.

How did you get used to your new normal during treatment and beyond?

It’s been two years since (my cancer) was diagnosed, and you work at it. For me, one of the side effects was fatigue, and I’m a go-go-go (person). I’m an Energizer Bunny kind of guy, but I found with this, at some point in a month or in a week, I’d hit the wall and I’d have to go down. I just couldn’t fight it off. And when I needed a rest, I rested. It could have been 12 to 14 hours. But it recharged the batteries, and then away I’d go again. I found that exercise really helps. It helps me mentally and physically. It helps me recharge the batteries and no differently (from) when I refereed. If I flew out to Los Angeles and I was going to be on a 10-day trip and I was tired ... My wife and I have seven children, so consequently, I was usually tired when I left home, but rather than go to bed, the first thing I did out there was put on my gym gear, and I’d go down and ride the bike.

How are you using your platform with the NHL to help raise awareness of your disease?

When I was in Aruba after (receiving my diagnosis), I wanted to get the message out, and I wrote an article that was posted on NHL.com. I wanted people to first of all understand that it was through a random blood test that (the cancer) was diagnosed. I wanted them to understand how important it is, at least annually, to have some blood- work done and pay attention to the signs. The other part was, I didn’t want there to be false information. There is so much misinformation out there through social media: “Oh, Fraser is dying.” It’s important to get the right message out there and provide hope and support.

You are living with an incurable disease. Aside from health aspects, has that changed you or your outlook on the stressors of daily life?

I’m Type A. It caused me to be successful to a large degree in the career that I had in the NHL. But I learned to manage stress during that 30-year career, and maybe it prepared me a little bit for the diagnosis. I want to be around at this stage of my life for my family — my wife, children and 11 grandchildren. We are very involved in their lives. We live close by. I coach some of them in hockey. I’m the fun papa that they like to play sports with and joke with. I’m big-time motivated ... I would never want to give up to anything that would prevent me from spending at least one more day, one more year or years with the family that I adore.

What message do you want to share with people who are living with a myeloproliferative neoplasm? 

Everybody is different in how they respond to a challenge. There are people who prefer to be private and quiet. I don’t think that’s the right way to approach this. I would like to see people, even if you’re fearful, (speak up). There is help out there. Help is available to pull you up when you are down and you have the opportunity to pull others up when they’re down. I don’t think it’s best to stay in the chair. Get out there. Stay in front of this thing.

People

Former NHL referee Kerry Fraser opens up about living with an incurable cancer that he refuses to let sideline him.

Breaking the Ice

Patients with cancer who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual face disparities in the care that they receive, according to study findings.

Researchers from Boston University, Boston Medical Center and Harvard Medical School examined the data of more than 70,500 cancer survivors to determine if there was a difference in care and quality of life based on sexual orientation. Among the group, 1,931 people self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) or other non-heterosexual orientation.

They found that overall, more LGB women than men faced disparities. For instance, 42.7% of LGB women had more difficulty accessing care compared with 28% of heterosexual women. In addition, LGB women had higher odds of poor physical and mental quality of life and trouble concentrating compared with heterosexual women.

Although LGB men had similar access to care as heterosexual men, they faced greater odds of difficulty concentrating compared with heterosexual men and poor mental quality of life.

“Access to care among sexual minority cancer survivors needs improvement,” the researchers concluded.

Snippets

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Cancer Survivors Face More Difficulties with Care

At age 30, Valerie David received a diagnosis that scared her: stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She was eligible for a special protocol that condensed a six-month chemotherapy regimen into just three and a half months. After completing treatment, she went into remission and subsequently received news that thrilled her: She was cured of lymphoma.

David never imagined she would face cancer again, let alone two more times. At 45, she found a lump under her armpit, in an area considered breast tissue, and testing revealed stage 2 breast cancer. “I thought, ‘Again?’ Because I had filled the cancer quota and thought this couldn’t possibly be happening,” says David, who lives in New York City. Eight months of chemotherapy and radiation plus a lumpectomy put her cancer in remission.

Four years later, chest pain prompted her to contact her oncologist. Her instincts told her it was cancer; she just didn’t know how serious. It turned out to be very serious: stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. “It was bone metastases in my chest, which is why I had the pain, and in the rib, and there was another spot under my armpit, right by the original site. It was devastating,” she says.

Many people advised David to prepare a will and obtain a power of attorney. She called a local support group but didn’t quite receive the type of help she expected. “The leader of the support group said, ‘Well, you know you have a three- to five-year life expectancy.’ I was shocked by her response,” David recalls. “I continued, ‘I haven’t gotten married yet, and I would really like to meet someone.’

She replied, ‘Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone who will appreciate the time you have left.’ She traumatized me. No one has the right to tell you how long you’re going to live and when you’re going to die.”

Rather than being fearful during her second and third bouts with the disease, she got angry. Anger, David says, is more powerful than fear.

An actress whose career started at age 6, David felt she had a story to tell. The universe sent signs that she needed to put it down on paper: After her first breast cancer, she attended writing retreats and workshops and ran the idea of writing a play by her oncologist, who encouraged her. David quit her job running the editorial department of an advertising agency so she could fully focus on writing and acting. The result became the award-winning play “The Pink Hulk: One Woman’s Journey to Find the Superhero Within,” which David wrote and stars in. The solo show portrays her cancer story through raw, honest emotion and humor and has touched audiences worldwide since 2016 with its message of hope and empowerment.

“It’s not just about cancer. It’s about fighting back from any challenge in life and living life on your terms,” David says. For example, in her play, she reenacts a 40-mile bike marathon that she was certain she would not complete, because she had finished final radiation treatments just two months earlier. But she made it all the way. “When I crossed that finish line, that was one of the greatest moments of my life, because it wasn’t about completing the marathon. It was about crossing the finish line with cancer,” David says.

Onstage, she is frank about the side effects she faced, including stiff joints, hair thinning, upset stomach and vaginal dryness. Taking ibuprofen and vitamin supplements, exercising and changing her diet helped.

Being thrown into early menopause posed a tougher challenge, robbing her of her fertility. “I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted children, to be honest, but that was my choice,” David says. “(When) the choice was taken away, it was a hard thing to deal with, but there are other options out there.”

She adds: “You are allowed to be frustrated. You are allowed to say, ‘My life is a little bit different due to these side effects.’ Sometimes it’s difficult, but then you realize, ‘Well, I’m alive and I’m still here.’ And that’s what’s most important.”

David is grateful to be living with no evidence of disease from her stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and remains on a CDK4/6 inhibitor and an aromatase inhibitor, oral medications that she will take for life. The concept, she says, can be tricky to explain to family and friends who ask, “When’s treatment over?”

“It’s not,” David says. “With my other two cancer bouts, there was a beginning, a middle and an end. With meta- static breast cancer, there is a beginning, but there is no end to treatment.”

David is thankful that the metastatic disease was found and attributes it to divine intervention. “The day before the mammogram, I got this random phone call from my hospital at the time that said, ‘You’re eligible to be in a study for a mammogram with contrast because of your breast cancer history. Do you want it?’” David recalls. “It wasn’t covered by the study, and when I asked the cost, I found out it would be less than $100 out of pocket through my health insurance, so I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ And that contrast mammogram revealed there was a new spot underneath my armpit that the regular mammogram did not show. That warranted the MRI and PET (positron emission tomography) scan that revealed the metastases and explained my chest pain.”

Throughout her 20 years of dealing with three cancer diagnoses, David has relied on a devoted support network of doctors, her parents and sisters and other family members and friends. She made it a priority to take someone with her to every appointment. David would email to ask for help, and she delegated duties such as cooking and doing laundry to family and friends when she didn’t have the energy to do them herself.

David meditates every morning and celebrates that her cancer no longer shows up on scans and tests. When she worries about recurrence, she copes by practicing meditation. She also keeps exercising, performing and touring, even during treatment. The morning last fall when she learned about her metastatic breast cancer, her show was opening in Portland, Oregon, but David did not let cancer stop her. She performed “The Pink Hulk” that evening and completed the show’s run.

“I’m going to live my life to the fullest. To me, being a cancer survivor means not letting anything stop you from doing what you want in life,” David says. “The other thing about being a survivor is to trust your instincts. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we strive to have the strength to deal with whatever comes our way and find that inner superhero to fight back any adversity — to Hulk out!”

Three-time survivor Valerie David turns cancer fear into an inspiring one-woman show.

The Pink Hulk: Drawing on the Power Within

Revised federal guidelines recommend that more women, especially cancer survivors, be considered for genetic screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), certain women will benefit from testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, genetic mutations that raise the risk of certain cancers, such as breast, ovarian and prostate.

The updated guidelines, published in JAMA, now include survivors of breast and other BRCA-related cancers, including ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal cancers.

It also includes women whose ancestry makes them more likely to inherit higher-risk BRCA mutations, such as Ashkenazi Jews.

“The USPSTF recommends that primary care clinicians assess women with a personal or family history of breast, ovarian, tubal or peritoneal cancer or who have an ancestry associated with BRCA1/2 gene mutations with an appropriate brief familial risk assessment tool,” the USPSTF said in a statement.

“Women with a positive result on the risk assessment tool should receive genetic counseling and, if indicated after counseling, genetic testing.”

This recommendation could be good news for insurance coverage, because private insurers follow the task force’s recommendations on what preventive care to cover, according to the Associated Press.

New Guidelines Call for Gene Screening for Cancer Survivors

Just one class on improving sleep may help curb chronic insomnia in cancer survivors, according to study findings published in 

During treatment, insomnia can be brought on by factors such as anxiety, fatigue or pain and linger after therapy ends, wrote the researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. 

They studied what they call a stepped care approach in 51 survivors with moderate to severe insomnia. Step one: a single session that included information from handouts with sleeping tips. Step two, taken only by those who felt the first step didn’t help: a three-part cognitive-behavioral therapy program led by a clinician.

The researchers found that 41% of survivors successfully overcame their insomnia after participating in the one-time class. Fourteen people moved on to the second step and, when it was over, 71% had their insomnia resolved.

Survivors most likely to benefit from the single session experienced insomnia for a shorter time frame and felt less burdened by it, the researchers wrote.

“Our results demonstrate that a stepped care model, in which the first treatment is low intensity and easily accessible to patients, can be effective for improving insomnia in cancer survivors,” first author Eric Zhou said in a statement. “This represents a tremendous opportunity to treat a problem that can significantly diminish cancer survivors’ health and quality of life when not addressed.”

Just one class on improving sleep may help curb chronic insomnia in cancer survivors, according to study findings published in Cancer.

A Little Sleep Education May Improve Insomnia

The number of cancer survivors in the United States has grown to nearly 17 million, a number anticipated to increase by another 5 million in the next decade.

Cutting-edge research and innovative therapies are the reason for the welcome rise. But surviving a traumatic event, such as a cancer diagnosis, can stir up an emotion that many survivors experience but don’t often discuss: guilt — specifically, survivor’s guilt. Because it affects people differently, it can be challenging to determine if this is what someone is feeling.

In our cover story, we delve into the specifics of survivor’s guilt and talk with two survivors who have been affected by the “secret side effect of cancer.” We share ways survivors can overcome the guilt and seek support. There’s also advice on how to discuss the feeling with loved ones. Survivor’s guilt is very real, so those who experience it should be reassured that they’re not alone. Don’t be afraid to vocalize those feelings.

Also inside, we sit down with retired NHL referee Kerry Fraser, who is living with a myeloproliferative neoplasm, a type of incurable blood cancer. Fraser relies on his biggest support system — his family, which includes his wife, seven children and 11 grandchildren. He opens up about his new normal and why he chooses to speak up on myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Finally, as many of you know, life after cancer is different. Perspectives and priorities change, which may mean reevaluating a career. Some people leave the corporate world for a life of advocacy or seek slower-paced jobs; others choose to hang up their work hats for good and opt for early retirement. But how can you start the process? What is the first step toward switching jobs after cancer? A career coach offers tips to help you make your next big move.

Also covered in these pages: advice for fighting post-cancer fatigue; how to cook Kabocha squash, which is packed with cancer-fighting benefits; and the most important lessons that cancer has taught Heal® readers.

We hope you find both practical information and everyday inspiration, and, as always, thank you for reading.

From the Chairman

Survivor’s guilt is very real, so those who experience it should be reassured that they’re not alone. Don’t be afraid to vocalize those feelings.

Fall 2019 | Heal