I'll never forget the day someone told me that, "there will be a gift for you in all of this." At the time, I was sutured and sore, and facing down a grueling 5 months of chemotherapy. I was simultaneously confounded and confused by that statement. But in the end she was right. There was a tremendous… Continue reading Hidden Gifts
Author: Melissa Eppard
I am a professionally trained and certified Life Coach with personal experience overcoming cancer as a mom in my mid-30's. After a diagnosis in 2014 I began blogging as a way to communicate with my family and friends, but it soon became much more than that. Writing was my lifeboat and connection with the outside world while immune compromised and healing from surgery.
Now I’m using my personal and professional experiences and living my dream of supporting others as a Healing Hope Cancer Coach. I help my clients understand their options, develop the best care team and a supportive network. Together we unpack the experience of having a cancer diagnosis, processing the emotional impact of a cancer. I offer stress reduction techniques to help manage fear and uncertainty, and coaching to support healing on all dimensions. After treatment ends, I help people find their personal roadmap through the pain and uncertainty, to a life fueled by clarity, personal strength and a connection to their unique life purpose. From diagnosis, through treatment and recovery, no one should go it alone!
I draw upon 10+ years of work immersed in holistic health and wellness. I was born and raised in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York and live there still with my husband and son. My survivorship blog Melissashealinghope.com chronicles my healing journey. You can learn more about my work as a coach at MelissaEppardCoaching.com.
I found the hidden key to post-menopausal weight loss!
I once canceled an appointment with the oncologist because I felt like I was too fat. Here's what happened... The Dr. had been telling me for the last two visits that it was in my best interest to eat a sugar free, mostly fruit and vegetable diet -either that, or take the drug Tamoxifen. The… Continue reading I found the hidden key to post-menopausal weight loss!
You Get What You Deserve: How my old couch taught me a lesson in self worth
Who cares about a couch, right? First world problems? But the couch serves as a metaphor about what we tolerate in our lives. It is easy to numb out and and get accustomed to our discomfort. Often the thing at the root of it is so close and so obvious that we stop seeing it. Oftentimes we feel disempowered from making a meaningful change.
Rewrite Your Story
Storytelling has been one of the most powerful tools on my healing path. From the dark depths of shock to the dangerous ledge of the unknown, words planted an anchor to hang onto. Syntax sutured up the ragged edges of emotional and physical wounds. I can commit words to tell a story and rely on… Continue reading Rewrite Your Story
Give your Fear a Job
WHAT IF runs you wild. Heart races. Stomach clenches. Palms sweat, teeth grind. The worst case scenario chases circles in your mind. It takes you out of now and into a place later on today, or tomorrow, or next week. But what if... just for right now, you planted your feet squarely on the ground,… Continue reading Give your Fear a Job
The Long Goodbye
I'm grieving for my mother in law, Linda, who only yesterday turned 64 years old. She is slipping further down the long dark well of early onset Alzheimer's. Today I found myself trying to express to her, in the simplest of ways, that bad things happen to good people. Even as her brain function is… Continue reading The Long Goodbye
10 Things I Wish Someone Told Me -Tips to Help When You Suspect Breast Cancer
In hindsight, these are the things I wish I knew before being diagnosed with breast cancer. From getting that suspicious lump checked out to healing from surgery, here are some important tips and considerations for the newly diagnosed. 1. Don’t wait to get it checked out! Set your mind at ease and nip it in… Continue reading 10 Things I Wish Someone Told Me -Tips to Help When You Suspect Breast Cancer
Finding the Path Through the Pain: a Roadmap to Rebuilding Your Life After Cancer
After treatment ends, and the “Survivor Confetti” is swept away, there are unique challenges for the younger cancer survivor. While much of the focus is on the newly diagnosed, and the actual fight to overcome cancer, little is discussed about this latter part of the healing journey. As a 3 year survivor, I know firsthand… Continue reading Finding the Path Through the Pain: a Roadmap to Rebuilding Your Life After Cancer
How to Emotionally Prepare for Surgery
When surgery is looming, finding the people, practices, activities and rituals that speak to you, that give you grounding and meaning is the place to start. Here are some ways that I prepared emotionally for my surgery after a cancer diagnosis.
Do Not Squander Your Gifts
When I imagine the voice of God, I think of the smell of mildewed bibles and lemon wood polish. I see the blue and green itchy plaid jumper, interwoven with threads of yellow, my pale scabby knees jutting out over the edge of the pew. I remember the white leather bound missal with gold embossed… Continue reading Do Not Squander Your Gifts
