My Story
Michelle Sandlin
Michelle Sandlin is an award-winning writer, author, poet, and cancer survivor. She has received much recognition for her weekly “On the Move” column, which was published in the Houston Chronicle from 2013 through 2020. During that time, her career centered around the real estate and relocation industries, where her writing was also frequently featured in numerous business publications, industry magazines, white papers, and corporate blogs.
But everything changed in June 2021 when Michelle was diagnosed with breast cancer. Much of her writing and creativity was put on hold so that she could focus on her fight. And fight she did! After 16 rounds of Chemo, a double mastectomy, reconstruction surgery, revision surgery, and a hysterectomy, she is now CANCER-FREE!
Michelle documented and shared her journey every step of the way, through raw video messages, photos, and of course, her writing. She felt it was important to share her experience – the good, the bad, the bald – while doing her best to stay strong and positive. She quickly realized that she was also helping others who were facing a battle of their own. In many ways, she says it was her ability to provide this inspirational support that helped guide her down her own path toward healing.
She will be sharing her emotional voyage in her upcoming memoir: CANCER DON’T CARE: My Inspirational Journey Through the Storm. While the memoir is a complete departure from Michelle’s earlier professional work, it reflects her natural, self-expressive style and the poetic rhythm of her writing. Much like her poetry, it is deeply personal, yet relatable.
On being a writer, Michelle says,
“Being a writer is not a career choice; it’s a calling. It’s about surrendering to my natural impulses without restraint and without moderation. It’s about allowing myself to be vulnerable and exposing my deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings. It’s the process of cutting myself open vein by vein to reveal what’s on the inside. It’s a willingness to bleed. The trick is to do it without bleeding out.”
