“Terri, I have a lump.” The words gushed out in a hoarse whisper and got stuck halfway out. I had a new lump form in my throat as I cried to tell her. Tears pricked in the corners of my eyes as I tried to force the sentence out again. Terri was the first person…
Category: Pink Dot Detour
Time After Time
It was 1995. I resigned from a very lucrative position at a very secure company on February 6th, which coincidentally was the day I was christened back in 1966. Later that day, my father told me he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I remember receiving the news. My head swam, my knees buckled beneath me…
Sunday Daydreams
Today was a perfect day to luxuriate in bed, my head in the clouds. I partied too hardy late Friday and into the wee hours of Saturday with dozens and dozens of my favourite people to celebrate at my Goodbye Cancer! party. The live band Juggernaut was on fire and the crowd was appreciative. We…
Venus, Mars or the Storm on Jupiter?
Caution! This blog post contains photos of my breast burned by radiation. Radiation from the Sun. Radiation Oncology. Radiation burns. I have almost completed 20 rounds of radiation to my right breast … the final steps in my Triple Negative Breast Cancer treatment plan. The first 16 rounds of dose dense radiation were beamed into…
Toasted Marshmallows
Remember when life was simple and easy? Being a kid was a kaleidoscope of bright, shiny colours drenched in happy faces. Each day was more exquisite than the last … and years lasted FOREVER. Everything was as unspoiled as a newly minted penny. And you thought you were the brightest one. Life was an endless…
Me VS Everything
If God wants to bring me to my knees, He knows what to do. A critically ill child. He can do anything to me. Throw anything at me. I keep getting knocked down. I keep getting back up. But don’t touch my kid. I couldn’t handle that. However, who am I to choose? Those other…
Collateral Damage
I guess now is a good time to discuss the changes cancer has made to my skin. It’s been 55 days since my last chemo infusion. Some studies suggest that I have been kicked ahead in time 10-15 years at the molecular level. These studies conclude that markers of ageing, such as decreased leukocyte telomere…
Mind the Gap
In search of peace of mind … I’ve tried everything. Meditation. Mindfulness. Mindless drugs and mind-numbing alcohol. Yoga. Sex. Music. Mindfulness and meditation are two sides of the same coin … they share similarities, yet they have different approaches. Meditation predates prayer in religion, originating as sounds and chants or mantras. Mindfulness is the act…
The Power of Positivity
We’ve all heard the message. Every doctor I’ve had during my Pink Dot Detour with Triple Negative Breast Cancer has told me. Your attitude is everything. Your perception matters. You are what you think. Why does it matter? It changes your outcome. People CAN and DO die of broken hearts. People can wish themselves ill. …
I Can’t Get No Satisfaction … While in Radiation
I saw the Firefighter this morning … watching all those muscles pop made my day! Rugged. Strong. Big. Sigh. He is honestly the hottest guy ever. Makes me weak at the knees. Am I not allowed a little bit of male adoration as I head to the Durham Region Cancer Centre for Radiation number 5…
You Are Getting Sleepy …
Hypnosis has always seemed like a parlour trick for comedians. Years ago, I went to Yuk Yuk’s with friends and watched them make dicks (literally) of themselves on stage while under hypnosis. My friend Terri and I both said “OK, there is no way I could be hypnotized!” Then I sent her this video. We…
Set Phasers to Stun
Do you know how rain gets into rain clouds? It’s not just a matter of warm air rising into the sky and condensing. How does the water find (or make) the cloud? Charge. It doesn’t just float around up there. Water may very well have a 4th phase. water gel ice vapour If you have…
Fox Diaries 