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Celebration or not …
Read more: Celebration or not …Yesterday marked three years since the radiologist said the words “I’m sorry, you have breast cancer”. It is hard to believe that was three years ago. I had a doctors appointment yesterday. At one point I broke down in tears, completely unrelated to the appointment. The doctor asked me what was up. I explained that…
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Carlos whoever you are, you are an ass!
Read more: Carlos whoever you are, you are an ass!This afternoon, after travels (hers then mine), progression (hers), stupid chemo side effects (hers), and colds (mine), Lori and I finally managed to get our schedules lined up for a hike. We hike for a variety of reasons. We both enjoy it. Hiking helps Lori feel better when she is having a crappy day (or week…
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SendIt! Photos from my surf weekend – @senditbrand
Read more: SendIt! Photos from my surf weekend – @senditbrandThe weekend before memorial day (Victoria Day long weekend in Canada), I went to a cancer camp to learn to surf, hosted by the Send It Foundation. I have always wanted to learn to surf, so this was a bit of a dream come true for me. The surf was freezing, but the opportunity to…
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National cancer survivor day #idontgetit
Read more: National cancer survivor day #idontgetitI may have said this before, but … I just don’t get it. I don’t understand what it is I’m supposed to be “celebrating” on this day. Yes, I am a cancer survivor, but all this day does is highlight how my friends with metastatic breast cancer will not survive – they will not be…
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Not fighting a battle – the closure to the narrative is death itself
Read more: Not fighting a battle – the closure to the narrative is death itselfRecently, I read a book chapter by Arthur Frank (2009) titled “The necessity and dangers of illness narratives, especially at the end of life”. It got me thinking. One of the pet peeves among many cancer bloggers as well as those with metastatic breast cancer is cancer as a war metaphor – that is, the…
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The freezing surf
Read more: The freezing surfThis weekend I had the opportunity to learn a little about surfing. I first learned about the Send It Foundation from the Bay Area Young Survivors (BAYS) resource website. Sent It provides opportunities for young cancer survivors to get out in nature and do something – this weekend that something is surfing, stand up paddle…
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It’s amazing the difference a good night’s sleep makes
Read more: It’s amazing the difference a good night’s sleep makesWednesday night I did not sleep well. I had a hard time getting to sleep and a hard time staying asleep. I woke up early Thursday morning exhausted. To make matters more challenging I also had to be out of the house for most of the morning. I found that I could not concentrate. I…
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How cancer has changed my approach to the medical system
Read more: How cancer has changed my approach to the medical systemI’ve been reflecting lately on how my cancer experience has changed the way I approach medical conditions. In some ways this is a good thing, in others not so much. I am much more comfortable with the idea of getting a second opinion and seeking out treatment options. I look back on how I approached…
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Remission society and mourning my fantasy future
Read more: Remission society and mourning my fantasy futureI apologies to those who read all my blogs, as I am cross posting this. I’d love to hear answers from the various readers of my different blogs. I want to connect two ideas: the idea of remission society as described by Arthur Frank (1995), and the concept of the fantasy future that I learned while…
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Watch out for my wrath … I’m anti-hormonal
Read more: Watch out for my wrath … I’m anti-hormonalI had written the first part of the title – ‘watch out for my wrath’ on Wednesday when I realized I was way overreacting to things again. I first notice it when I start yelling at drivers for mild infractions, a happened on Wednesday on the way to the gym (my first awareness of being…
