fuck cancer — Grief Blog — Forced Joy Project

10 Years Survival

10 years ago, without fanfare, I received an email from my radiologist that said “scans are perfect.” It had been a year of clean scans since my sudden and unexpected relapse.

Cleaning Out the Closet

Starting at the row of suits and dress shirts, it would have been unclear that Brad had died over a year ago. Nothing had changed. Even his belt, which he casually tossed on top of the dresser, was unmoved.

Dana FrostMarch 6, 2023cancer widow, fuck cancer, cleaning out the closet after deathComment

Starter Smash Kits

The day after Brad died, a friend of mine gathered some old electronics and thrifted glassware and let me take a golf club to the pile in a back alley in Detroit. He did the same thing after the first wedding I attended solo.

Dana FrostDecember 10, 2022grief gift, bereavement gift, gifts for grievers, breakup gift, grief and loss, widow, young widow, fuck cancer, fuck fineComment

What if Brad Was Still Alive?

The truth is, that diagnosis would have inevitably changed us both. The fears, the surgeries, the emergency room visits, the bad news, bad news, bad news. Had Brad survived, our entire trajectory would have shifted - a rocketship midflight, aiming for the moon instead of mars.

Dana FrostJanuary 20, 2022Widowhood, widow, young widow, cancer widow, fuck cancer, grief and loss, grief support Comments

Grieving? It's OK to Skip the Holidays

You may feel pressure from well-intentioned people to “get in the spirit,” but oftentimes those people would rather see you fake a smile than feel the truth.

Pull out the box of ornaments…or don’t. Sing the carols…or don’t. Get in the spirit…or don’t.

Dana FrostDecember 14, 2021grief and holidays, Widowhood, widow, young widow, surviving the holidays, holidays and grief, cancer widow, fuck cancerComment

"I Miss the Old You"

“I miss the old you.”

What they meant was the “fun” me. The “light” me. The “easy going” me. The me that smiled widely and laughed freely and stayed late at the party.

Dana FrostOctober 19, 2021cancer widow, cancer survivor, fuck cancer, grief and loss, grief support, new normal, Moving ForwardComment

The Divide: Life Before & Life After

Reliving the trauma of a cancer diagnosis, the treatment, and the subsequent death is unbearably difficult. But sometimes, it feels harder to relive those precious moments of our life before.

Dana FrostOctober 12, 2021cancer widow, cancerversary, fuck cancer, terminal diagnosis, Widowhood, young widow, widow, life after loss, griefComment

Ways to Support the Caregivers in Your Life

What I needed was for someone to come sit with me in my home because leaving - even for a few hours - required effort I was too exhausted to make. What I needed was someone to come sit with him so I could run to the grocery store or the pharmacy or to just have 10 minutes to sit alone in the car and cry.

Dana FrostJuly 28, 2021caregiver, caregiving, widow, young widow, cancer survivor, fuck cancer, grief and loss, grief supportComment

Helpful Things to Say to a Griever

We talk a lot about what not to say to someone grieving. But earlier this week, someone asked me for some helpful things to actually say. Here is a list from the experts…