And … I am Storm. Let me introduce you to her … as a thunder and lightning storm rages outside. It is only fitting! Cancer may have raged inside of me, but I am determined to beat it and rage back. Today marks the end of Phase 13 – I think … if I am…
Category: Cancer
Dust to Dust
Have you decided your funeral arrangements? Have you even thought about them? What, where, when and how do you want your body to spend its eternity returning to star dust? The options, these days, are endless. My emotions over the pending Chemo 4 infusion bubbled over today, and tears spilled over life & death, unresolved…
Stage IV
What is your favourite season? What is your most favourite thing to do in that season? What is something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t yet done? What is your biggest wish? Now close your eyes and imagine you’ve just been told you have Stage IV cancer and only 6 months to live. What…
Forgive me, Father, it’s been 3 months since my last Breast Cancer diagnosis
March 3, 2017 – My best friend Terri and I walked out of the surgeon’s office with a sheet of paper clutched in my hand, knowing for a fact that I had breast cancer. The report said so. Highly invasive ductal carcinoma. My body, mind and soul had known a little longer. Dr. X was completely honest…
Breast Story
This is going to be one of those blog entries that is a bookmark work in progress. As I research the story of our breasts and bring in the context of cancer, I will modify this post into a whole chapter. Check back occasionally for updates. My breasts are two of the smallest in the…
(Ir)+rational fears
I have this reoccurring nightmare that my PICC line will bleed out. The nurses tell me that it can’t happen because there is a valve that prevents the backflow of blood … but what if the line is severed? As in a car accident? May as well slice my neck. The nightmare has me slowly…
Chemo 3 done … 13 to go!
I think I deserve a celebration of sorts! And I didn’t want you to think chemotherapy was all exhaustion and feeling on the verge of vomiting! This round – knock on wood – hasn’t been so bad. Today is Day 3, which has been the morning I woke up feeling like death warmed over. But…
… So this is Coco …
She’s a little coo coo. Tower 10 as Bridget says, which I think means certifiable, without the cheque! She’s only coming out for special occasions … à la Coco Chanel. If you are just tuning in … I had Triple Negative Breast Cancer and am going through chemo now. I lost all my hair after…
And though she be but little, she is fierce
Shakespeare ~ A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Act 3, Scene 2 I am mostly fearless. I meet cancer head on and don’t flinch … which is exactly how I have always approached life. Tomorrow is my third of four chemotherapy infusions with the AC combination of drugs: doxorubicin (Adriamycin), and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). Once the AC combo…
S’not funny!
This is so s’not funny … I lost all my nose hair. Who knew those tiny hairs were so useful? Is there no end to the indignities of cancer? While out shopping at Costco, Heather had to wipe her nose on her sleeve like a snotty brat. Caught red nosed without a kleenex. So not…
Daffodils for Mother’s Day
I’ve pretty much always had Mother’s Day covered via one angle or another. My Mom lived to be ninety-two. By the time she passed away in 2013, I had already been a mother myself for 15 years. While I’ve usually looked back and reminisced on Mother’s Day … this year I look ahead into an…
Annie … My heartdog
Annie was only 8 months old or so when she was rescued from a northern Canadian community and placed into foster care with our dog rescue. And she was pregnant. January 8, 2015 she gave birth to seven beautiful puppies … but Annie was struggling. With poor nutrition and no prenatal care, her body wasn’t…
Fox Diaries 