Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
Issue link: http://cancerfightersthrive.epubxp.com/i/507057
18 C A NCER FIGH T ER S THRI V E | sUMMER 20 15 C A NCERFIGHTER S THRI V E .COM Throughout treatment Linda kept a gratitude journal. Every single day she sat down to write what she was grateful for. She also began journaling about her personal experiences. After months of writing and sharing her story verbally with fellow cancer fghters, in December 2013 Linda felt inspired to channel her gratitude into a book. "I wanted to give other people the hope and healing I received at CTCA," Linda shares. Linda spent a little bit of time writing every night before bed. "It became a nightly devotion for me," she explains. In March 2014 Linda received bad news. After a scan, cancer was found in her stomach area. She underwent sur- gery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Through that second diagnosis, Linda continued to write. She fnished the book, titled it, YES I CAN-CER, My Journey of Hope and Healing and self-published on Amazon in November 2014. "I believe writing is a form of art— the art of expression. To me, that is why I wrote the book. It expresses who I am," Linda explains. Linda says the reaction to the book has been amazing. She carries copies with her to give to people who need it, specifcally people going through cancer treatment. For those who want to document their cancer journey, Linda recom- mends starting a journal and writing in it every day. She also encourages patients to take lots of pictures as visual reminders. Most importantly, Linda urges those who want to share their story to simply write and share their treasures with the world. "It feels awesome for me to sit and just write. I look at writing as how I express myself spiritually, physically and emotionally," says Linda. "Writing is a form of healing." Sharing on the Social Stage Leah Sherman, ND, is not afraid to open up about her cancer journey. By day she works at CTCA in Goodyear, Arizona, as a naturopathic physician. By night she writes, vlogs (video- blogs) on Tumblr and shares photos on Instagram, documenting her expe- rience with breast cancer. Dr. Sherman writes about her experiences and creates videos on her Tumblr account, titled "Just a Little Bump in the Boob" (bumpintheboob. tumblr.com). Her blog outlines everything she is going through with treatment, along with details from her personal life. "Making videos is a way for me to just talk and be honest," explains Dr. Sherman. "It's also a great way for my friends and family to see me and see that I'm okay." In addition to the blog, Dr. Sher- man has found a community of sup- port on Instagram, the popular social media site focused on photo sharing. "Instagram is another easy way for me to update people on what's going on. I can provide a visual as well as a little blurb about what's happening," she explains. Some of Dr. Sherman's posts (her Instagram handle is @drleahs) include photos from chemotherapy, a selfe of her ringing the bell after her last chemotherapy treatment, images from her wedding day and more. Dr. Sherman loves Instagram because she fnds that she is able to reach people beyond her own network "It feels awesome for me to sit and just write. I look at writing as how I emotionally. Writing is a form of healing."