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A long overdue post
It has been so long since I’ve written, I don’t really know where to start. Health-wise, I’m doing okay—or at least I haven’t had any new health crises. I’m writing this from Stan Fest. Last year, we found out 20 minutes before we left for Stan Fest that I had cancer. It was good to…
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Navigating the Side Effects of Trastuzumab: Finding Balance and Embracing Summer
I’m more than half way through my Trastuzumab (Herceptin) treatments – I’ve actually lost count. I think I might be 10 out of 18. Anyways, I realize that I’m have side effects from it. It is causing fatigue and making my joints ache. The side effects last just shy of a week and then I’m…
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Sunshine and Sunflowers
Lori was sunflowers. Lilani was sunshine. Will the sun shine again? I wrote this poem during a writing workshop. The prompt was “Sunshine feels like …” Immediately sunshine reminded me of Lilani. A ray of light. Then I thought of Lori, and how her favourite buff and compression sleeves are contain sunflowers. I miss them…
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Rediscovering joy
Cancer treatment is a gift that just keeps on giving … more like an anti-gift keeps on giving. My latest issue is radiation fibrosis. The area of my collarbone and underarm that was radiated is now tight. I asked a friend who is a physiotherapist about it – she explained it as scar tissue like…
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10 km later
I planned to go to Santa Cruz to visit a few friends, but it didn’t quite turn out that way. Since my meetings were in the morning, I wanted to go for a hike first. Cara reminded me that there were lots of trails in the Santa Cruz mountains and that I should look there.…
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California 2024 – Hiking
I’ve been in California for the last few days. I had great aspirations of hiking the day I arrived, but I was so tired. I hadn’t slept well the night before, then needed to be at the airport for 3:45 a.m. and then didn’t sleep well on either flights, and throw in a 4 hour…
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Forgiving my body again
Back in February 2016, I wrote a blog post about forgiving my body. I just re-read it and it still resonates with me. At a recent writing workshop, I reflected again on forgiving my body. Here is what I wrote: I had forgiven my body for the cancer that grew it – for it trying…
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Accomplishment versus joy
My therapist asked me, how much time I spend on “accomplishments” rather than joy. I have been so focused on “doing things” that made me feel like I had accomplished something, that I wasn’t spending any time focusing on things that bring me joy. She encouraged me to try setting up my days so that…
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Can I call myself a writer …
if I don’t write? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. I’ve been reading Wil Wheaton‘s book “Still just a geek”. It has reminded me to write more regularly, but it has also encouraged me to work more on my next books (I have two in the works). His writing encouraged me because I’m…
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Halfway
I am halfway through my trastuzumab (Herceptin) a type of targeted therapy drug called a monoclonal antibody. This is the magic drug that kills HER2 breast cancer. I am due to take 18 doses, 3-weeks apart. That works out to a full year. Since I just completed 9 of 18, I will be doing this…
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Not growing old
If you were here you would notice that I’m constantly doing something. Even when my body is hurting, I find something to do. Until I enter a drug induced sleep at night, my mind and my body are doing something. I feel like I always need to be doing something. It occurred to me today,…
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Then and now
I have been diagnosed with breast cancer twice. In 2014, we had just moved to California. We had no support network. It was just my husband and myself. This time, we live in a cohousing community and have support from my neighbours. In 2014, we lived in the South Bay Area near San Jose. This…
