Cancer has affected my life both negatively and positively. It was the darkest and scariest year of my life but also one of the most important. I was diagnosed right before my sophomore year of college. I had just made a really great group of friends and was excited to be in college. The world was my oyster, as they …
Igniting Campfires Of Hope
Coming Soon!
Beyond Cancer Series
The Beyond Cancer Series started in October 2018 as the Epic Experience Education Series. The goal was to maintain a sense of community among Epic Experience alumni, family, caregivers, and friends, while also providing information and resources surrounding a variety of topics related to living beyond cancer, everything from professional development to mental health. The series was also launched as …
Don’t Call it a Comeback – The Reason for the Season
Steve Nash, James Harden, Alex Rodriguez, Roberto Clemente, and Dan Marino are some of the most well-known sports icons who have worn the number 13 on their teams. For the first time in my life and in my cancer journey, I also get to proudly wear the number 13, as today marks 13 years of clear scans and good health. …
What difference can a dog make in someone’s life?
We met Jessex in 2010 when he was an eight-week-old puppy. He was the seventh dog we had raised for Canine Companions for Independence, an organization that trains service dogs to be the ears, hands, legs, and best friends of people in need. When you start training a puppy, you never know if he will “graduate” to live a life …
How Experiences with Cancer Thrivers Changed my Perspective
I will never forget my college experience, but that is for very different reasons than most college students. It was not because of the endless parties, staying up all night, or enjoying my independence. It was because during my junior year, I was with my older brother when he heard the words, “You have cancer.”
Isolation or Blessing?
COVID-19. Coronavirus. Stay-at-home. Shelter-in-place. Quarantine. These are terms that most of us have either never heard of or ever believed would directly impact us. Yet, these are now the daily “terms” of our lives. The global pandemic has forced whole countries to isolate themselves from other countries. Within our own country, each state has made its own “isolated” decisions on …
Fiddler’s Green
“To young men contemplating a voyage I would say ‘Go.’” Captain Joshua Slocum, 1st solo circumnavigator I wonder what old Josh would say to one who found himself thrust into a voyage without time for prior contemplation? Or to the one on a voyage that would continue for a lifetime? I suppose that growing up at a lighthouse on the …
Corporate Partnerships Offer Great Volunteer Opportunities
I had an extraordinary opportunity of participating at camp EPIC Experience! There were four main reasons why my time at EPIC Experience was one of the best events I have ever participated in at Eisai. Using EPIC as an acronym, here’s is why my experience was so memorable: EnvironmentThe camp is situated in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado just outside …
On the Other Side – Volunteering at Camp
I was fortunate enough to be an Epic Experience camper in the June 2018 group fondly known as Big Girl Panties, as in pull them up and get on with your life. I had an incredible time; came to understand, respect, and love the new me (my after-cancer-treatment self); and made lifelong new besties. Camp was inspirational, motivational, and eye-opening, …