Welcome to Surviving to Flourishing! I am so happy you are here. You may have read a little about me. If not, take a look at my About Me page. I’m Donna, an ovarian cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in 2021 during COVID, went through six rounds of chemotherapy, and am currently receiving maintenance treatment with a PARP inhibitor. If you are like me, when I was diagnosed with cancer I thought that surviving and getting through treatment was going to be the tough part. I thought that I would finish treatment, and if I was luck enough to have clear scans, I would rather quickly resume life as I knew it. What I soon realized was that for me the after cancer part was shocking, difficult to navigate, and nothing like what I expected. it certainly wasn’t back to life as I knew it.

Physical Side Effects of After Cancer

While this certainly looks different for everyone, for me the physical side effects of chemotherapy have taken a long time to subside and become “tolerable”. The PARP inhibitor compounds that because it has some of the same side effects: fatigue, nausea, joint pain, chemo brain/brain fog. So I never know whether I am having long-term side effects from chemotherapy or iffy side effects are from the PARP inhibitor which is hopefully keeping the cancer at bay. Chemo brain is a real thing and while my memory and word finding is better, I still have some difficulty. Nausea comes and goes, rearing its ugly head unexpectedly. And the fatigue. Oh the fatigue. Sometimes it is manageable and sometimes I just need to take days to rest and rejuvenate. I try hard to increase my stamina and stay active, but it often feels like I am getting stronger at a snail’s pace if at all.

Emotional Side Effects of After Cancer

Adding to the physical side effects of after cancer is the emotional side. The dealing with what I and what all cancer survivors have been through, a life threatening illness. The reflection on my life, legacy, and relationships. The gratitude. The regrets. The survivor guilt. The ups and downs of watching fellow journeyers. The scanxiety. The disappointment and sadness towards those who haven’t or didn’t show up for you. The deep sense of gratitude towards those who did and still dowel this journey with you. The depth of feeling towards the preciousness of life and the joys in walking up each day. The depth of appreciation for simple things. The need to figure out what my life looks like after cancer.

Why this Blog

Whew. That was a lot. And there is so much more. So why did I decide to start Surviving to Flourishing? First and foremost, I am a helper. I truly want to make life a little easier for others. It is just who I am. And let’s face it, when we help others, we also help ourselves. I have learned so much during this journey that I want to share what I have learned in order to make YOUR journey a little lighter. Maybe I have a tip or trick that can make your life easier. Maybe there’s a resource that you have needed, or a different perspective on something that you had not thought of that brings you a little peace. Maybe just knowing that there is someone else out there, going through the same thing you are, feeling the same feelings that you are feeling, sharing feelings that you are not really sharing with anyone because you are not sure that they will understand, makes you feel a little less alone. A little more “normal” in your journey. A little more, “Hah! It’s not just me”.

What to Expect

The biggest thing to expect is that this website is here for you! To inspire you, to give you hope, to provide you resources, to make YOUR journey and mine, easier and lighter. Let’s go on this after cancer journey from Surviving to Flourishing together!