Never thought I'd want to be a breast cancer survivor
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When a TV star has stage IV
Read more: When a TV star has stage IVI don’t know why – well I guess I kind of do – but Shannon Doherty‘s recent announcement that her Breast Cancer has metastasized and she is now stage IV (for breast cancer that means terminal) has hit me emotionally. I didn’t know her personally, but I was an avid fan of 90210 when I…
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Getting flustered
Read more: Getting flusteredI seem to get easily flustered when I have too make too many decisions in a short period of time.
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Five years and counting
Read more: Five years and countingYesterday I had an important cancer anniversary. Five years ago, on December 17, 2014, I was officially in remission. It is the date that the last of my known cancer was removed from my body. It was a huge surgery. This year I had back surgery on Monday December 9th. It turned out to be…
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Five more years … and a back update
Read more: Five more years … and a back updateIt has been a whirlwind over the last two weeks – with an appointment with my oncologist and an appointment with my back surgeon. I was pretty bummed out after my appointment with my oncologist. He again said that I was moderate to high risk for recurrence and that he wants me on some form…
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Is this normal? Spinal laminectomy
Read more: Is this normal? Spinal laminectomyIs it normal to have surgery booked after a short phone call with a surgical fellow outlining what surgery is being offered? Is it crazy to think that I might want an in-person appointment where the doctors show me my scans and explain exactly what the procedures they are suggesting entail? I’m finding it a…
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Kind of like Halloween for an adult with celiac disease
Read more: Kind of like Halloween for an adult with celiac diseaseI felt like a kid a Halloween, sorting through my samples of different gluten free granolas, snacks, pastas and such.
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laminectomy or fusion … the woes of my spine
Read more: laminectomy or fusion … the woes of my spineAs some of you know, I’ve been struggling with back pain – which got severe after I broke my rib mountain biking at Christmas last year. I’ve tried a lot of different things to help improve it – PT, Yoga, acupuncture, massage, spinal injections, and decompression therapy – unfortunately none of it worked. Some of…
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I almost cried
Read more: I almost criedI almost cried when as I walked out of my surgeons office – likely for the last time. Thursday I had a follow up appointment with my breast surgeon. When she walked in the room she was excited to see me. She was also excited to show her intern her handy work. She is very…
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It’s like riding a bike, except when the bike is a recumbent
Read more: It’s like riding a bike, except when the bike is a recumbentThe other day one of my students made a comment about how prior knowledge and asking how much of it we needed to review. He then used the metaphor of driving a car – stating that everyone knows you “put the key in the ignition”, “put gas in the gas tank” … he went on…
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Can I handle the emotional hit associated with losing more friends?
Read more: Can I handle the emotional hit associated with losing more friends?Back on July 6, 2014 — the day before I started chemotherapy – I wrote about my fears with getting to know others who might one day die from breast cancer. After the loss of the last year, I find myself hesitant again. Can I handle the emotional hit associated with losing more friends?
