Catherine Gigante-Brown

I thought cancer was behind me. Until I had a weird pain near my left ovary which lasted for several days. It felt a lot like ovulation...Only, at 56, that train had left the station a long time ago.

erotic. intimate. unapologetic.

You realize pretty soon that everything other than cancer — i.e. missing a train, being late to your dentist appointment — is no biggie compared to the suck factor of chemo.

I try. I really do. But whenever I attempt to embrace my husband Peter’s Cuban culture, I always screw up.

I realized my father was from a generation that never said those three little words. He was saying he loved me without them. But I didn't realize it then.

Anne Lamott's Operating Instructions wasn't your typical cutesie baby fare. It was raw, real—and unabashedly funny.

"Remember, this isn’t just happening to you, it’s happening to moms everywhere. It’s not your fault — "

Being a little bit chubby is better than being a lot dead.

Why, when I'm cool with being a salt-and-pepper chick, does it so clearly unnerve others?

That’s the thing about being a breast cancer survivor — it’s always there: it never goes away. The scars, the fear that lurks in the back of your mind like a boogeyman. You’re going along nicely, living your merry life, and you’re fine, until you’re not.