My Breast Cancer Journey | Episode 68

“You have breast cancer.” I heard those words on a Wednesday morning when I got a phone call that turned my world upside down. This week marks eight years since I heard the words that no woman wants to hear. It’s honestly hard to believe that phone call...

10 Cancer Resources for You or A Friend

It was seven years ago next month that I heard the words, “You have breast cancer.” One simple phone call turned my world upside-down as words like lumpectomy, mastectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy forced their way into my well-ordered world. My cancer...

Cancer Cured Me of These Five Things

“Hello Jill, this is Dr. Nord’s office. I have the results of your breast biopsy. Are you alone?” It was five years ago today that those words turned my world upside down. Yes, I was alone. In fact, I was driving and had answered the phone using my Bluetooth. I pulled...

My Breast Cancer Journey

Four years ago this week my life changed when breast cancer became a part of my vocabulary.  It had been a part of my extended family’s vocabulary for some time because my aunt, my mom, and my grandmother had all received breast cancer diagnoses before I did. We...

An Open Letter to a Woman Who Has Breast Cancer

Dear Friend, I know your world has recently been turned upside down. You can hardly breathe and you’re worried about your future and your family’s future. It’s possibly you’ve come to grips with your diagnosis but are recovering from surgery,...

An Open Letter To A Woman Who Doesn’t Have Breast Cancer

Dear Friend, Tomorrow marks two years since my breast cancer diagnosis. Today I’m sharing my heart with you in hopes that you’ll take care of yourself and do all you can to prevent cancer and detect it early if it shows up in your life. Tomorrow I’m...

Post-Cancer Nutrition Changes

When I met with my oncologist after my last treatment he told me that I now have three jobs: 1) Exercise Regularly 2) Eat Right 3) Keep my weight down As he explained, lifestyle changes can make a difference in “turning on” the cancer cells in our body....

Winners, My Cancer Update, and How Can I Pray for You?

On Monday, I sent out an update on my cancer journey.  However, it wasn’t titled that in the email delivery because two posts accidentally went out instead of one.  If you missed the post titled A New Normal: Life After Cancer, just click on the title here and...

A New Normal: Life After Cancer

Last Tuesday I finished my radiation treatment. I. Am. Now. Cancer. Free!  Surgery. Chemotherapy. Radiation. 8 months of treatment is now behind me. My oncologist, who I will now see every 3 months for the next two years, said I now have three responsibilities to...

Cancer Humor

Over the past six months of my cancer journey, I’ve learned that a sense of humor is very important during the hard times.  Joy is an inside job and is not dependent upon our circumstances. Looking back over this season, a few “funnies” come to mind...

Cancer and Compassion

When we were in Africa, our Compassion child, Theresia, shared more of her story with us. Because Theresia’s mother was a teenager herself, Theresia’s grandmother served as her primary caregiver during her early years. The more she talked about her...

Four Words No Woman Wants to Hear: You Have Breast Cancer

Last week I heard those four words and my heart stopped. After an abnormal routine mammogram, followed by an abnormal sonogram, my doctor ordered a biopsy. I had the biopsy the Monday after the North Central Hearts at Home conference and less than 48 hours later, I...

Why We Choose Samaritan Ministries

As a full-time missionary ministry family–health insurance is not a given. When Obamacare became available we bought a policy through the marketplace. We quickly learned, however, that the “Affordable Care Act” was anything but affordable. Insuring...

Igniting Hope with Kelley Tyan | Episode 137

I’ve got a question for you: What happens when life hits you hard? Do you crawl inside yourself and hide? Do you throw your hands up and give up? Or do you wipe yourself off and get back up again? In this episode, I am talking about resilience, and to help me do that...