What Cancer Taught Me About Freelance Writing
I am a cancer survivor. The headline photo for this article is my cancer survivor tattoo, and it features my diagnosis and cancer-free dates, and the words “I am a Survivor.”
I am a cancer survivor.
You may wonder what cancer has to do with freelance writing. For me, writing became my deliverance after cancer and treatments rendered me hors de combat from my career at that time. Writing was my only outlet, my only way to be productive.
Fourteen years after my initial diagnosis, I am thankful for valuable lessons I learned that I’ve applied to my freelance writing business. I’m glad to be alive, and to share those lessons with you.
My Cancer Journey
After a brief period of travel connected with my career, I contracted double pneumonia in February 2005. I was diagnosed at a local hospital, where the pneumonia was clearly visible in both my lungs on an x-ray.
I was treated, released, and recovered at home. As the year progressed, I experienced odd symptoms that I brushed off as signs of aging. Night sweats, itching in my lower extremities, and unexplained weight loss were the major irritants.
One day in August of that same year, I traveled a few hours from my home for matters connected with…
