Jessica Bolz

August 04, 2022

When my grandmother passed, I noticed my aunt was ruder than usual, and I wondered if I was like that during my cancer experience... and if the pain I was going through excused that behavior.

May 19, 2022

When you put your feelings out there in cancer support groups — be it in-person or virtual — you’re opening your ideas up to others’ interpretation, and some might not like what you have to say.

April 13, 2022

After surviving cancer, I’ve developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder, which comes with feelings of insecurity and anger.

March 23, 2022

My survivor friends and I share the insensitive comments we have received about our cancer diagnosis.

March 11, 2022

I’ve been feeling like I’m walking on eggshells around my doctor, so I think it’s time that we see other people.

February 14, 2022

I laminated pictures of my friends and created an angel garden complete with a stone that reads “she flies with butterflies” to ensure that the friends I have lost to breast cancer aren’t forgotten.

January 24, 2022

A survivor of multiple cancers explains how “visits” from deceased friends and loved ones made her feel safe before undergoing treatments.

November 23, 2021

It’s easy to internalize the way other people treat you, but oftentimes it’s merely a result of their own inner struggles, a cancer survivor explains.

November 11, 2021

A cancer survivor describes how she faces her fears throughout health emergencies.

November 02, 2021

One cancer survivor explains why a friend writes letters to his loved ones before each surgery “just in case.”

October 15, 2021

What do you do when cancer begins to drive a wedge between you and your partner? “I always feel it could cause the end of my relationship because I’m too much,” writes one survivor.

September 29, 2021

A cancer survivor writes about the traumatizing experience of undergoing mastectomy, dealing with her partner’s hurtful comments about her body and how she was able to rebuild her dignity.

September 03, 2021

A cancer survivor expresses the frustration of constantly worrying about protecting her health in a dangerous world.

August 19, 2021

“When I walk into the doctor’s office and the question is asked ‘What are you coming in for today?’ My answer is ‘survivorship,’” writes a four-time cancer survivor about the difficulties of living with a history of complex health issues.

August 12, 2021

A four-time cancer survivor shares the advice her father gave her as a young child during her first journey with cancer. The words he uttered made her shift how she has looked at life.

March 15, 2021

A four-time cancer survivor writes a personal letter to her future doctors. She urges doctors to see her and not her diagnosis.