Recognizing When It's Time to Step Back and Rediscover Balance On the heels of a busy holiday season, I transition into my busiest season at work - Q1. From November through April the rhythm of daily life beats relentlessly on and demands seem ceaseless. With my new normal, living with the side effects of cancer… Continue reading Unplugging and Recharging: Finding Solace in Simplicity
Tag: Health
NBCAM: Inspiration 105, Cynthia Nixon
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. So the only thing to really be afraid of is if you don't go get your mammograms." —Cynthia Nixon
NBCAM: Inspiration 104, Shannen Doherty
"Ultimately, they're just breasts, right? I mean, I love them, they're mine, they're beautiful, but in the grand scheme of things, I would rather be alive, and I would rather grow old with my husband." —Shannen Doherty, April 12, 1971 - July 13, 2024 2015: Diagnosed with breast cancer. 2017: Announced her cancer was in… Continue reading NBCAM: Inspiration 104, Shannen Doherty
NBCAM – Inspiration 102, Debbie Wasserman Schultz
"Every woman needs to know the facts. And the fact is, when it comes to breast cancer, every woman is at risk." —Debbie Wasserman Schultz
NBCAM: Check Your Boobs – mine tried to kill me
National Breast Cancer Month is observed every October. It aims to raise awareness about breast cancer. The campaign promotes early detection. It also supports research and education efforts. Check your boobs - mine tried to kill me. 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Men get diagnosed with breast… Continue reading NBCAM: Check Your Boobs – mine tried to kill me
Living Through Layers: My Journey with Hidradenitis Suppurativa After Cancer, Covid, and More
The author reflects on their difficult health journey from 2020 to 2025, marked by diagnoses including diabetes, COVID-19, and breast cancer. Following grief and physical challenges, they also confront Hidradenitis Suppurativa, an incurable autoimmune disease. Despite struggles, they emphasize resilience, self-compassion, and the importance of community support through chronic illness.
Tea Time Reflections: Finding Strength in Community and Renewal
This week, the author reflects on the comforting ritual of tea as fall approaches, symbolizing renewal after treatment for cancer. They express gratitude for community support, including a touching encounter with a young girl at a church festival who offered a prayer. Amidst exploring gardening and local living, they seek new tea suggestions.
The Gift That Keeps Giving
So, I just came home from my annual eye exam. Easy peasy. One would think. Strike that. Who am I kidding? Life never gives me easy peasy. The eye exam with the tech was going on as usual. Eye puff, check. Reading a chart to the minuscule, check. Looking at dots, check. Getting weird yellow… Continue reading The Gift That Keeps Giving
The Complexities of Identifying as a Cancer Survivor
From diagnosis day in August of 2023 others around me have been calling me a survivor. I have mixed feelings about this. So far, I've been through two surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and now I'm on my second aromatase inhibitor with a plethora of side effects that I struggle to cope with in my current everyday… Continue reading The Complexities of Identifying as a Cancer Survivor
Must-Watch Series for Breast Cancer Survivors
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, the author sought comfort and insight through documentaries, movies, and series. Initially, they felt disassociated from the reality of their diagnosis, relying on emotional shutdown to cope. They found solace in films like "Ordinary Love" and "Wit," but avoided emotionally overwhelming content. The author learned to trust their medical team and support system, focusing on necessary tasks. Recently, they revisited the series "The Big C," which prompted deep emotional discussions and reflections on their journey. The author emphasizes the importance of humor and emotional release, recommending "The Invention of Lying" for its comedic relief. They also highlight the need for therapy beyond support groups and the significance of planning for the future, despite their Stage 2 diagnosis. The author concludes by praising "The Big C" for its sensitivity and humor, recommending it to others.
One Year… I’m still here
Our scars can destroy us, even after the physical wounds have healed. But if we survive them, they can transform us. They can give us power to endure and strength to fight. The Batman The subtext of The Batman movie is not dissimilar to the cancer journey. In this case the sadistic killer is cancer.… Continue reading One Year… I’m still here
Milestone Reflection: Battling Breast Cancer and Setting Goals for the Future
Hello friends... Wow, what a year I have had. This past year my milestone age didn't really sink in with all of what that means. I've had a singularity of focus - battling breast cancer. On this last day of this year, I'm feeling like time is catching up with me. Usually when I hit… Continue reading Milestone Reflection: Battling Breast Cancer and Setting Goals for the Future
Mountain Lion in the Fridge
I read the following in an online support group and it describes this experience pretty accurately (sorry, I don't know who the original author is)... This still makes me cry every time I read it…I’m almost 3 weeks post chemo…but it is SO relatable and describes our journey pretty accurately. CANCER: THE MOUNTAIN LION IN… Continue reading Mountain Lion in the Fridge
Day 195: Morning Fog
"Dreams are postcards from the subconscious, inner self to outer self, right brain trying to cross that moat to the left. Too often they come back unread: 'return to sender, addressee unknown.' That's a shame because it's a whole other world out there - or in here depending on your point of view." Dennis Koenig… Continue reading Day 195: Morning Fog
Day 171, 10 Days Post Last Chemo, Stay Golden Ponyboy
Day 171 I'm in the mindset that it only gets better from here. I'm in the nadir of my last chemo cycle, so I'm feeling pretty down - exhausted, weak, and have neuropathy and chemo brain. But I feel better days are on the horizon. I just have to get through the next thing, radiation.… Continue reading Day 171, 10 Days Post Last Chemo, Stay Golden Ponyboy
How it feels to have cancer…
There's an unreal-ness to having the diagnosis, even now, nearly six months in, there's a separateness for me like it's not really real. I know it's real but maybe it's more of a lack of acceptance. I just keep doing the next thing but I'm aware of this otherness. It feels like all the beautiful… Continue reading How it feels to have cancer…
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year friends! I'm almost halfway through chemo and I'm looking forward to being on the other side of chemo and radiation hopefully by April. Be safe out there if you're joining the revelries tonight. I wish everyone a most excellent 2024.
10 New Years Resolutions to Give Up on Before You Start
It's that time of year again, when we all make promises to ourselves that we know we won't keep. But why bother with the guilt and disappointment of failing at your goals, when you can just give up on them before you even start? Here are 10 New Year's Resolutions that you should ditch right… Continue reading 10 New Years Resolutions to Give Up on Before You Start
Skin Care Challenges
It's day 18 of my first chemo cycle and the challenges this week have been memory issues, nausea, fatigue, hair loss and irritated skin. In three days, I will be having my second round of Docetaxel (Taxotere) and Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). This week has not been as bad as week one and two, but I'm far… Continue reading Skin Care Challenges
Embracing the Battle
The following quote reminds me to be gentler with myself and to understand that illness has things to teach. It serves a purpose. The illness that I currently feel is my body defending and freeing itself from the cancer. I am not my cancer. The cancer is a foreign invader. I am the organism thrashing… Continue reading Embracing the Battle
Our Humble Road 