The Healing Power of Retreat: Why Stepping Away Matters on the Cancer Journey An Expanded Reflection on the Harmony Retreats 3-Day Cancer Retreat When many people imagine a “retreat,” they picture spa robes and massages. Harmony Retreats, a program of Cancer Lifeline, holds a different kind of sanctuary…a place where individuals living with cancer come...
When Tonia Bartz was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2021, everything changed overnight. “I went to the ER knowing something was off, but I never imagined it would be cancer or that I’d be admitted immediately for chemotherapy,” she recalls. Her journey included chemo, radiation, a stem cell transplant, and a donor lymphocyte infusion. As she approaches three...
The holidays are around the corner and can stir up many emotions — joy, gratitude, nostalgia, and sometimes deep loneliness. For those living with cancer or caring for someone who is, the coming season may feel different from years past. Traditions shift. Energy changes. The familiar rhythms of life can feel uncertain. At Cancer Lifeline,...
On a cool September morning along the southern waters of Hood Canal, the rhythm of paddles striking water carried more than momentum — it carried prayers. For the ninth year, Pacific Northwest canoe families came together for Paddle for the Battle, an event where every pull of the oar is lifted as a prayer for...
When Dr. Bonnie McGregor founded the Orion Center for Integrative Medicine in 2015, it was with one clear conviction: cancer care must treat the whole person. As a psychologist, researcher, and advocate, Dr. McGregor has long been passionate about bringing integrative and psychological care into the standard of cancer treatment—not as an afterthought, but as...
From a To-Do List to a Lifeline: Abby’s Journey with Cancer Lifeline For Abby, getting a mammogram was simply another item on her “to-do” list—something quicker and easier than updating her family’s will. At 48, with no family history of breast cancer, she wasn’t expecting anything unusual. But after nearly a decade without screening, she...
July marks National Minority Mental Health Month, a time to acknowledge and address the unique mental health challenges faced by communities of color. While much of the conversation rightly focuses on access to therapy and overcoming stigmas related to seeking help, one critical area that is often overlooked is the emotional toll of serious illness — especially cancer. For...
Earlier this month, members of the Cancer Lifeline team had the deep honor of participating in the Cancer Survivorship Celebration hosted by the South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency (SPIPA). It was a two-day event filled with joy, remembrance, and resilience — a gathering that lifted up the journeys of Indigenous cancer survivors and honored the...
When Douglas Clark was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2019, it felt like the ground disappeared beneath him. “It was as if I was melting into my seat,” he recalls. On the drive home, his mind was still trying to catch up—processing the weight of the diagnosis, the fear of the unknown. How do I...
In the world of cancer support, every journey is as unique as the individual walking it. For many, joining a Cancer Lifeline support group is a courageous first step—one taken in the midst of fear, loss, or uncertainty. Participants often arrive carrying heavy questions and quiet hopes, unsure of what they’ll find or how they’ll...
