“That moment of simultaneous exhilaration and serenity at the peak of the climb.” I coined that phrase a handful of years ago, after completing the upward climb of a hike and while sitting in reflection at the peak of a mountain. While I sat in that moment [and my spouse chased our goober children away …
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chemo fridays ~ december 2018
It’s the second to last Friday of chemo. That means eleven out of twelve are done. That means that I have made it through eleven, consecutive, progressively worse, Fridays of that can only best be described as the aftershock of my Wednesday chemo sessions. I recall my very first Friday after chemo. I was home …
not knowing you have breast cancer doesn’t mean you don’t have breast cancer
I don’t care what your excuses have been. I also value every one of them because we are all too busy all of the time, I know. But go get your damn mammogram. Now. If you live on Boston’s North Shore, let me refer you to a pretty amazing facility. I repeat: If you are …
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hair ~ november 2018
I’ve been bored with the length of my hair for over a year now. Each time I have an appointment with my hairdresser, I go in all prepared to chop it off. However, each time I sit in the chair, I remember how hard I worked to grow it out, how much effort it took …
the age of cancer ~ october 2018
So, like, is blogging even cool anymore? I am some outdated Gen Xer who hasn’t figured out that the best way to communicate is in a post with just three phrases? Does anyone even read this? [And, totally off topic, but who was Doogie Houser writing to?] I don’t know, but I do know that …
a morning walk ~ october 2018
Probably one of the hardest parts of this whole diagnosis was having to give up my exercise routine. Now, I’m not a gym rat and I don’t run for fun in 5Ks or whatever, but I like to set exercise goals for myself. I’ve learned over the years, and especially over the past year, that …
before cancer ~ october 2018
At some point along the way with this disease, you come to accept its presence in your life. You carry cancer along with you in your new day-to-day norms without thinking much about the annoyance of having it there. You schedule treatments and appointments, side effects and rest periods, in the same way you schedule …
misery happens ~ october 2018
There are days that are just plain miserable. And it doesn’t matter what type of positive thinking, Jedi mind tricks, internal mantras, or forward vision you try to employ. It doesn’t matter how much love and support you see around you, how many tools you have at the ready to help you through, or how …
forward ~ october 2018
And then the shizzle got real. Like, really real, real fast. The portacath, four days in, still isn’t settling into my skin. It hurts. A lot. It needs to be looked at and I’ve been told to call the doctor and leave a message. Also, the nausea that I was warned about has begun. All …
a moment of time ~ september 2018
I’m a week and a half into my recovery from my mastectomy. I’m doing as well as can be expected, managing pain, and reveling in the amazing support of my network of friends and family. Truth be told, I sometimes wonder if it’s their support that is doing the most for my healing. They are …
If You Look At It Right 