Elephants and Tea - December 2022 - 1

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Conversation
I'm No Expert
O
JOIN THE
CONVERSATION
ur bodies are our homes, and as cancer survivors, our bodies
have been through a lot.
These lovely authors have shared their experiences on the
page, and the stories within this magazine come from people
with amputations, scars, and ostomies. Cancer has taken
some of their tissue, breasts, or reproductive organs. Some
have lost their hair and their sense of self along the way.
Their stories reveal their frustrations and transformations
as they have processed their losses. Many chronicle their journey toward self-love
and reclaiming their bodies as their own post-cancer.
I certainly felt betrayed by my body when I was diagnosed. However, I don't know
what it's like to lose a limb to cancer or have long-term complications from treatment.
I do know what it's like to have port and biopsy scars that I wish weren't there. I
know what it's like to go through chemo and feel like shit from all the poison being
pumped into me. I know what it's like to get a cold in survivorship-something
that any cancer muggle may deem an inconvenience-where I feel triggered by a
cough or the sniffles.
Despite being a member of this community, I still cannot fully understand a lot
of the things that many of you have experienced within your bodies. Curating this
issue has given me the chance to better understand other members of the AYA
cancer world. It has been a humbling experience to step back and admit that I am
no expert on this topic and to spend time listening, rather than writing.
You may be in the same boat. Even if you may not fully relate to all of these
stories, I hope you can absorb the weight of them.
With love and gratitude,
Rachel
RACHEL MIHALKO IS THE
DIRECTOR OF CONTENT AT
ELEPHANTS AND TEA AND
IS A HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA
SURVIVOR. SHE TREASURES
SHARING HER REFLECTIONS
WITH THE COMMUNITY,
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WRITING
BRINGS HER PEACE AND CLARITY.
SHE LOVES THEATER, WRITING
POETRY, AND CRAFTING OF ALL
SORTS. READING HAS FUELED
HER PASSION FOR WRITING, AND
YOU WILL RARELY FIND HER
WITHOUT A BOOK ON HAND.
IF YOU WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUBMIT A STORY TO BE PUBLISHED IN
ELEPHANTS AND TEA, PLEASE CONTACT RACHEL@ELEPHANTSANDTEA.COM
ELEPHANTSANDTEA.COM
DECEMBER 2022
1
http://www.ELEPHANTSANDTEA.COM
Elephants and Tea - December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Elephants and Tea - December 2022
