Jane* had always followed the medical guidelines, so at age 40, she started her annual mammogram screenings. In March of 2009, right before her 57th birthday, Jane went in for what she…

Jenn Roark was only 33 when she was first diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer. She felt a hard spot on her breast, short of a lump, but decided to be safe…

When pathology reports from her lung cancer biopsy showed that 56-year-old Karen Peterson was positive for the KRAS oncogene, she had never heard of the KRAS protein before. Karen and her family…

For women approaching or experiencing menopause, the question of whether or not to utilize hormone replacement therapy is a common one. After her hysterectomy at age 45, Hazel, now 87 years old…

Cancer survivors and their loved ones are no strangers to the adverse effects chemotherapy can have on one’s body, mind, and spirit. Despite these setbacks, Mirakind community member and blogger, Heather Trojan,…

The holiday season is a time of remembrance. We relive our favorite memories around the dinner table, exchange gifts with those who helped make them, and mourn those no longer with us….

Devon and her Obstetrician/Gynecologist always had a good rapport. During their decade-long relationship as patient and physician, Devon credited her doctor with maintaining her health, saving her daughter’s life despite delivery complications,…

This is Laura’s keynote address from the 2017 ACS Relay for Life, her testament to her mother, her “best friend and idol.” Her mother, Joanne Perriens’ story can be read here. Courage is defined as…

This article draws upon an interview Joanne Perriens had with our MiraGuide Amanda in June 2016. We were deeply saddened to learn that Joanne lost her battle to breast cancer shortly after…

Waiting for her flight at the airport, Michelle Zacharia found herself walking in a direction she did not intend: toward the wall of magazines.  Michelle, a person totally disinterested in celebrity gossip…

During the summer of 2009, Tina Kelly noticed two pea-sized lumps in her right breast.  Feeling strong and having plenty of energy, she thought for sure they were benign fibroids, which she…

A Guest Post by Nancy Bower Kantola Chavez: “It’s definitely cancer” is what I heard on the second day of my summer vacation in July 1995. I was 34 years old and…