If you’re in the middle of something hard… you’re not alone.

I had planned coffee on the deck, quiet time with God, and a peaceful Sunday morning. The green beans—and my husband—had other plans. Forty-eight pints and six quarts later, I was reminded that abundance often arrives with work attached.

Treatment may end, but the cost of surviving often continues. In this honest first post of the “Notes from the Middle” series, I’m talking about the hidden financial burden of cancer survivorship — the bills, the uncovered needs, the work decisions, and the quiet costs nobody prepares you for.

A cracked bubble wand reminded me that not every moment needs to be useful. This holiday weekend, let’s make room for bubbles, sparklers, bright shoes, and the small joys we often rush past.

They're called compression sleeves. And for a long time, they were the thing I hated most about surviving. That's a strong statement given fifteen surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation. And yet. Lymphedema wins the hatred category. Make it make sense.