Three years ago, when Vera Trainer was diagnosed with cancer, she did what many strong, capable people do first — she tried to handle it quietly. “I really sort of had this thought that I would just do it alone, and I didn’t need to tell anybody.” She kept moving forward. She was “kind of discreet” because...
The moment I knew, for sure, I had breast cancer my mind became a blank slate. My past was erased and I had only this instant where there was nothing. I was suddenly thinking of my own death. This lasted for a nanosecond. I told my husband it was malignant and he wrapped me in...
Linda’s Journey of Rediscovery When Linda arrived at her first-ever retreat … after 30 years of living with cancer… she wasn’t sure what to expect. Encouraged by her social worker, she came with hesitation but also a quiet hope. During a support group, she heard something that transformed her relationship with her cancer medications. Another...
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...
For decades, glass artist Sonja Blomdahl worked in her Seattle studio, creating luminous vessels that caught light and color in a way that seemed to hold hope inside them. She was no stranger to discipline, teamwork, and the physicality of creation. But nothing prepared her for the physical and emotional intensity of a cancer diagnosis. In June 2022,...
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...
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...
Glenda was first diagnosed with vulvar cancer on January 31, 2022, and again on August 23, 2024. She wishes someone had shared the warning signs with her earlier—both diagnoses came as a complete surprise. Soon after her diagnosis, Glenda was grateful to discover Cancer Lifeline. Her mother had passed away from lymphoma on December 18,...
In August 2024, Keng-I was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Living in Hawaii and navigating the uncertainty that comes with a new diagnosis, she knew she needed more than just medical treatment—she needed support, community, and resources to guide her through the journey ahead. Driven by a desire to find holistic options that aligned...
Rick was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer about two years ago and began treatment immediately. Early on, his palliative care team at Providence Swedish introduced him to Cancer Lifeline, but at the time, he wasn’t ready to join any classes or support groups. About 6 months later, after doing some research on the...
