A Lump in the Road – A Column by Nancy Brier

Nancy Brier recently relocated to Palm Desert, California with her husband and their 12-year-old daughter. She coaches entrepreneurs and writes about family, cancer, travel, and business. Her own personal experiences with triple negative breast cancer inspires her column at Breast Cancer News, which explores and highlights the fears, issues, and challenges associated with a breast cancer diagnosis.

For more of Nancy’s work, please visit www.NancyBrier.com

January 9, 2017January 9, 2017

Learning Lessons About Prescribed Drugs — the Hard Way

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns

I took one tiny pill, no bigger than a Tic Tac. Twenty minutes later, when I sat down to dinner with my family, I realized I didn’t feel well. I ... Read more

January 4, 2017January 4, 2017

Like a Storm in the Desert: Cancer’s Subtle Gifts to Me

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns

It started in the middle of the night when we heard unfamiliar tapping on the roof. “Rain?” my husband said, mystified. “Maybe I should make sure the windows are up ... Read more

December 19, 2016December 19, 2016

5 Holiday Wishes for Cancer Patients Like Us

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns

Did you just get that terrifying diagnosis? Is your hair falling out, completely gone, or coming back in a bizarre stubble that has you guessing about what the color and ... Read more

December 12, 2016December 16, 2016

Stained, Tatted, and a Bad Ass

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns

“Bad Ass” probably isn’t the first phrase that comes to mind if asked to describe me. If you had to guess what I do for a living, you might venture ... Read more

December 6, 2016December 16, 2016

All By Myself in the Sunshine

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns

I sat on a blanket, alone, in a field spotted with blue and yellow flowers. Our rural community celebrates the end of the school year with an annual Renaissance ... Read more

November 28, 2016December 16, 2016

Let Me Eat Cake

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns

I take my baking seriously. I actually harvest my own yeast and use it to bake bread. It’s a smelly, glue-like concoction that lives in the back of our refrigerator and ... Read more

November 21, 2016December 16, 2016

Ten Reasons to be Thankful for Cancer

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns

Thankful? For cancer? Not really. But as Americans gather this week to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to share gifts I found scattered all over cancer’s path. For these treasures, I ... Read more

November 14, 2016December 16, 2016

Chemotherapy’s Best-Kept Secret — Menopause

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns

Menopause. Not the sexiest word in the English language. Thickening waists. Dry skin. Brain fog. Hair in places where you don’t want hair. Before starting chemotherapy as part of my ... Read more

November 7, 2016December 16, 2016

Cheeky Chat More Effective Than Tears

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns, News

“I think that’s everything.” Gary shoved our suitcase into the car and slammed the door shut. It was time for our long drive north from Palo Alto to our rural ... Read more

October 31, 2016December 16, 2016

Firefly Project’s Medical Students and Penpals

A Lump in the Road - A Column by Nancy Brier, Columns

I’m waiting for a letter, and it’s going to be here any day now. Not an email. Not a bill. Not a catalog. A real letter, written just for me ... Read more