Waking up on 147

Jan 24

So many mornings this past year, I have woken up thinking, “Holy crap!  I have breast cancer!” or, later, “Holy cow!  Where are my boobs?  Oy, the cancer got ’em.” Having a Big Thing happen in your life is like that: it is, seemingly forever, surreal.  I still shake my head in disbelief that this is my life, that this has happened to...

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Scan Day

Jan 23

My PET scan is today (Wednesday 1/23) at 1:30pm.  The PET scan will confirm for me that there is still No Evidence of Disease (NED), that there is no cancer in my body.  The PET was on the radar for February, but the scheduler put me in a slot 2 weeks early.  It was not bumped up because of any medical reason, but simply because it was convenient.  And I’m...

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The brave smile

Jan 21

If I had to pick one unifying characteristic that would describe new patients in the Chemo Room, it would have to be the brave smile. There are other telltale signs: multiple family members present, deer-in-headlights glaze in their eyes, a full head of hair, and an aura of disbelief.  But it is the brave smile that the newbies all have in common.  The first session...

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A high fly ball

Jan 18

If you’ve ever been into a baseball game, I hope you know this feeling.  You know, the pounding in your chest when the our team’s bat hits the ball and it’s a high fly ball heading for the fence.  The entire stadium leaps to their feet with a collective gasp.  Men clench their fists, women clasp their heart, and the jaws of the children hang open....

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NED Maintenance

Jan 07

I was going to call this post “Cancer Maintenance”, but then I realized that made no sense because I HAVE NO CANCER. It still makes me feel so happy to type that.  Cancer free. NED.  No evidence of disease. ::Frolick and happy dance commence.:: I’m in a routine right now for NED maintenance: I see Dr. Wonderful, my oncologist and the quarterback of...

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Milestones

Jan 01

Milestones are funny things.  They pass the time.  Sometimes it seems like time flies, other times like time slows and nearly stops.  The same event can be both a blink and an eternity.  It reminds me of a flowing river: such different experiences: on a boat, on the shore, in the water, wading.  There are so many perspectives to see the same things.  I pray that I...

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