Tracy Ruckman

Earlier this year, TMP Books put out a call for submissions for two anthologies, requesting stories from cancer warriors/survivors, and from cancer caregivers. We received several submissions, but not enough to fill either book, so for now, the books are postponed. When I notified the writers who had submitted, one of them suggested running the stories on my blog, and I loved the idea. My goal was to share people’s stories, to give encouragement and hope to other cancer warriors and caregivers, so why wait? I’m sharing the stories each Tuesday, in the order they were submitted. Today, I welcome author V. Ronnie Laughlin who shares her atypical breast cancer journey from the Middle East, during the pandemic. No Time to Sit and Worry As I held the specimen cup in my hand with the breast biopsy sample glistening inside; I looked at it and it looked at me. It looked like a hydra, the long tentacled invertebrate with a gelatinous body. I do not know what possessed me to ask my Radiologist,...

Earlier this year, TMP Books put out a call for submissions for two anthologies, requesting stories from cancer warriors/survivors, and from cancer caregivers. We received several submissions, but not enough to fill either book, so for now, the books are postponed. When I notified the writers who had submitted, one of them suggested running the stories on my blog, and I loved the idea. My goal was to share people’s stories, to give encouragement and hope to other cancer warriors and caregivers, so why wait? I’m sharing the stories each Tuesday, in the order they were submitted. Today, I welcome author Phee Paradise, sharing a powerful snippet of caregiving during her son’s battle with leukemia. Between Christmas and Easter On Christmas Eve, I held a flickering candle in each hand, tears filling my eyes. The left one was for me, the right one for my son whose arm hung uselessly after a stroke. This night he was quarantined at home recovering from a bone marrow transplant. In the dim ch...

Earlier this year, TMP Books put out a call for submissions for two anthologies, requesting stories from cancer warriors/survivors, and from cancer caregivers. We received several submissions, but not enough to fill either book, so for now, the books are postponed. When I notified the writers who had submitted, one of them suggested running the stories on my blog, and I loved the idea. My goal was to share people’s stories, to give encouragement and hope to other cancer warriors and caregivers, so why wait? I’m sharing the stories each Tuesday, in the order they were submitted. Today, I welcome Mary-Kay Cronemeyer, sharing her story as a valiant cancer warrior. I Took Back Time “Skeptical” was on the tip of my tongue and really the word I wanted to use in reply to my surgical oncologist after my biopsy, seven years ago, because that’s how I honestly felt. But I needed to sound comparatively positive to his level of confidence, so I opted for “cautiously optimistic.” Even though, in re...

Earlier this year, TMP Books put out a call for submissions for two anthologies, requesting stories from cancer warriors/survivors, and from cancer caregivers. We received several submissions, but not enough to fill either book, so for now, the books are postponed. When I notified the writers who had submitted, one of them suggested running the stories on my blog, and I loved the idea. My goal was to share people’s stories, to give encouragement and hope to other cancer warriors and caregivers, so why wait? I’m sharing the stories each Tuesday, in the order they were submitted. Today, I welcome my sister, Carrie Leeth, to the blog, sharing her story as a lifelong caregiver: 28 Years and Counting In 1994, my father had been diagnosed with throat cancer and had been battling this for some time, losing weight, not able to work. He had a feeding tube placed before he started taking radiation treatments two times a day, for six weeks, so my brother and I took turns driving him to treatment...

I promised readers of The Pink Pages that I would provide occasional updates on my cancer journey, so here’s the latest. I’m grateful these updates are getting shorter and less frequent. Tuesday, I visited my favorite doctor - my surgeon. Never thought a surgeon could be on my list of favorite people, but this one is the best, even before today’s appointment. He removed the Medi-port! As I was driving to his office, I was praying and thanking God for the inventor of the Medi-port device (the apparatus also known by other names including port-a-cath.) At one point during my waiting time, I calculated that the Medi-port had saved me sticks from at least 18 IV needles and all the pain, anxiety, and aggravation that would have gone along with each one. What a blessing that Medi-port was for 16 months. I’m truly grateful. I’m equally grateful that it is now gone. The procedure was done in the surgeon’s office and took less than 15 minutes. I laughed when they asked if I wanted to keep the ...

Earlier this year, TMP Books put out a call for submissions for two anthologies, requesting stories from cancer warriors/survivors, and from cancer caregivers. We received several submissions, but not enough to fill either book, so for now, the books are postponed. When I notified the writers who had submitted, one of them suggested running the stories on my blog, and I loved the idea. My goal was to share people’s stories, to give encouragement and hope to other cancer warriors and caregivers, so why wait? I’m sharing the stories each Tuesday, in the order they were submitted. Today, I welcome author April Whitt sharing her story as a cancer warrior. A Joyful Warrior As I begin a new season in my life, I look back over the past few years and my struggle with cancer. I consider that even though cancer has consumed much of my time, energy and thought life, it is NOT the sum of who I am. It is not even the whole of my struggle, it has even become part of my joy. My journey began back in...