Silver Linings
When I was in second grade, I read a book titled, “Fortunately, Unfortunately.”
The Other Side
I recently hit a rough patch in my treatment. The radiation sessions were harder than I expected them to be. I also didn’t expect how hard this would be on my husband who could only watch. There was nothing he could do to stop my pain.
Columbo and Vinny
My husband and I consider ourselves to be part Italian.
God Talk
I grew up attending church and heard all sorts of stories about God.
Miles to Go
I finished graduate school in 1982, earning a master’s degree from the University of Redlands in Communicative Disorders.
Spaghetti Sauce and Passwords
Carpe diem. Today, not tomorrow.
Change
Change can be difficult for someone who likes things to be predictable.
On and On
Life goes on.
Pink-tober
October has arrived. It’s the time of Halloween decorations, pumpkin spice lattes, and hopefully cooler weather. We pull out our home décor items with Fall colors of red, orange, and brown. We walk past the candy aisles in the stores and wonder if it’s too soon to start buying Halloween candy. October also means we …
Sadness
I’m feeling sad right now. I’m also feeling a little bit angry and a little bit helpless. In my July post, I wrote about a woman who I have been following on the Breast Cancer forum. Her forum name was “moth,” and she had a blog called “Never Tell Me the Odds.” I wrote that …
Little Things
“Don’t sweat the little things.” How often have I heard that one? I’ve seen pictures, drawings, Instagram posts, and so on of someone in a “situation” where the caption reads, “Don’t sweat the little things.” There are endless how-to books written on the subject. Workbooks, daily devotional books, journals – you name it. There are …
Guilt
GUILT. How does that word make you feel? Erma Bombeck said, “Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving.” John D. MacDonald wrote, “Guilt is the most merciless disease of man.” Arthur Buchwald penned, “When we grieve, tears and guilt get mixed together.” I think Arthur Buchwald’s quote resonates the most with me. When we …
Control
I don’t like to admit this, but I love control. I wouldn’t call myself a control freak, but when so much of life feels chaotic, I crave control over JUST SOMETHING. Give me just one tiny, little thing I can control. That’s all I ask. I can’t control the weather, traffic, or the cost of …
TARP YOUR LOAD!
A few months ago, my husband and I were driving from San Diego to Bishop to see our kids. In case you didn’t know we had kids, we were adopted by our son at his tender age of 20-something. When he met and married the woman of his dreams, we gladly welcomed our new daughter-in-law …
By the Grace of God
Recently, I was reading a post by a woman with Stage IV breast cancer who was living with an abusive, alcoholic husband. As I was responding to her post, I started to write, “By the grace of God, I’ve not been there.” I began to think about that phrase. What does that mean? Does it …
Reprieve
I have been granted a reprieve. My scans at the end of last month showed that I continue to be medically stable. While we are thankful for the news of “stable”, this reprieve feels more like a stay of execution. Merriam-Webster defines reprieve as an order or warrant for a temporary suspension of the execution …
Scanxiety
I don’t know who first coined the word “scanxiety,” but whoever did hit it spot on. Wikipedia calls it a portmanteau, which is “a blend of words in which parts of multiple words are combined into a new word.” In this case, it is a combination of “scan” and “anxiety.” Scanxiety. Get it? According to …
Humor
Humor is a strange thing. What makes something funny? Why do we laugh? Why do we start laughing just because someone else is laughing? Is it something we’re born with? Have you ever watched a baby laugh? Can you watch that and not laugh yourself? Have you ever laughed until your stomach or sides hurt? …
Roller Coasters and Thrill Rides
I’ve never been a fan of roller coasters or thrill rides. The ups and downs, the twists and turns, the feeling that I’m probably going to die on the ride. Not my idea of fun. Getting a diagnosis of Stage IV or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) feels a little like being on a roller coaster …
What’s Behind the Name?
When I first thought about starting a blog, I wrote down names that I thought might fit me and my goal of having a blog. I knew I was going to write about cancer, specifically Stage IV or metastatic breast cancer but I didn’t want the word CANCER to take center stage. When I was …