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I’m typically quiet about my relationship, so it feels strange to write about it on Kara’s blog. But in a year where I've shared so much in this space, it didn't feel right to not reflect here on Roger's birthday. In a world that’s always been filled with big emotions and chaos, Roger is the quiet, the calm and the steady. My one requirement for a serious relationship wasn’t small, it meant finding someone who could love Kara and me as a package deal. That’s not an easy ask a

About a month ago, Gretchen reached out to me personally. I was honored that she took an interest in Kara’s story and wanted to interview us for the Quad-City Times. Per usual, my mind raced. First, I had to sit with the emotions of having a story in the paper that I wish wasn’t our story in the first place. It reminded me of when I was salty about designing Team Kara t-shirts because I didn’t want a constant visual reminder that she has cancer and now it’s all I wear. In pri

Hypervigilance is not a new state of being for me. Maybe it’s C-PTSD, being neurospicy, something written in the stars for an empath… or a mix of everything. All I know is that it’s a familiar space and my body often feels trapped in it. It’s literally made me chronically ill, a trip to the Mayo Clinic in my early 30s confirmed fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and the only prescription was essentially to figure out how to calm the f down. Easier said than done… especial

Cooking together has become our quiet way of holding on to normal, a small ritual that reminds us we can still create something comforting even when life feels unpredictable. Kara keeps me moving, I've been keeping the oven warm and together we make it through one Sunday (and one casserole) at a time.

I’ve held strong for every single doctor’s appointment but I lost it for a considerable amount of time this week during a conversation...

Kara got an iPhone for her birthday last November, and while she’s a social butterfly who loves getting messages and calls from so many...

I’m supposed to be in DC this week for the International Downtown Association conference. My boss texted me as he boarded the plane:...

It’s been a while and I hardly know how to catch Team Kara up on everything that has unfolded. Maybe I’ll just start with the present....

Note: This space has been a home for sharing Kara’s journey but today I need to place another piece of my heart here. Grief does not...

Birthdays hit differently these days, just like everything else in our lives, I suppose. But Kara loves a good celebration, and she was...

It’s a common question after a festival. And a fair one with AC, which isn’t just a music fest - - - it’s a comedy fest, a film fest, a...

Genuinely hard to put into words how meaningful the Indiana Fever game was. As much as I’ve been writing lately about all the special...

My little broken heart mended with a few stitches last night watching Kara take in my latest work on the big screen! Leading up to the...

Every holiday is a total mindfuck for me. They always have been. My hypervigilant brain won’t shut off. It cycles through the emotional...

I’ve had a lot of people reach out lately, telling me they’re amazed by how I’m juggling everything life is throwing at me. Some say I’m...

The burden we’ve been carrying has been so incredibly heavy. As the date got closer for Kara’s PET scan, I felt my chest tightening, my...

It’s my birthday. And I want to share how I found beacons of light (even in this year that has felt incredibly dark). Last night, as I...

That’s what Kara said after a short walk through the outlet mall in Aurora. My mind immediately spiraled. Has the cancer spread to her...

I was a ball of anxiety the entire week and it feels extra sweet to share that Kara crushed her chemo treatment. She had no hesitation...

If you really want to make Kara’s day, all you have to do is clean your house and do your laundry. I’m not kidding. Nothing makes her...