"I measure every Grief I meet With analytic eyes; I wonder if It weighs like mine, Or has an easier size. I wonder if they bore it long, Or did it just begin? I could not tell the date of mine It feels so old a pain. I wonder if it hurts to live, And … Continue reading Grief
Category: Advocacy
What’s different?
There's always one or more discussions going on in #CancerLand about what might have or will cause cancer. For those of us with cancer, this discussion is fraught with pitfalls and angst. No one, after all, wants to be told that they did something to cause the worst thing that has ever happened. No one. … Continue reading What’s different?
Bullying
bul·ly /ˈbo͝olē/ verb; gerund or present participle: bullying is to "seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable)." I've never been all that susceptible to bullying. There have been times that I felt bullied or pushed by various people in a variety of contexts; however, I wasn't aware of it in the moment. The … Continue reading Bullying
Negativity
It hasn't happened to me personally yet, however, I've observed several people I know being accused of being negative as they shared their actual, real life experiences with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. I've read their accounts carefully and realized that I've said the same or similar things in this blog and on other social … Continue reading Negativity
Finding your TRIBE
We've all heard the saying "it takes a village" when applied to child-rearing. I would submit that this same idea applies to life and, particularly, dealing with a terminal illness. Now, as an introvert, I subscribe to the onion theory of relationships, i.e., the closer anyone gets in a relationship to me, the smaller the … Continue reading Finding your TRIBE
Nancy’s Point 2019 Summer Blogging Challenge
I've never participated in a blog hop before and I look to Nancy Stordahl of Nancy's Point as a bit of a trailblazer in the cancer blogging world. I read some of the responses to her blogging challenge last summer, but I didn't really start blogging until this year. Blogging is, by definition, a mostly … Continue reading Nancy’s Point 2019 Summer Blogging Challenge
We need Help!
Right now there’s a bill before Congress called the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act (H.R. 2178). It’s the second time it’s been introduced, sponsored this time by Republican Peter King (NY-2) and Democrat Kathy Castor (Fl-14). A companion bill has also been introduced in the Senate by senators Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Chris … Continue reading We need Help!
Everyone is different
I see it all the time and, at times, have done it myself, belittling and/or comparing the struggles of others. Especially when the struggles of others are specific to struggles you yourself have overcome. It is so easy to look back and gloss over the detailed bits, to forget the triggers, to urge too hard … Continue reading Everyone is different
Anger and Depression
I was listening to a piece on NPR a few months ago about how Anger and Depression go together. I've heard that a definition of depression is anger turned inward, so this link is not surprising to me. As an introvert, I'm pretty familiar with the inward turning concept, that's my normal modus operandi and … Continue reading Anger and Depression
The Bell
There have been some blog posts disseminated recently about the use of the bell to celebrate the end of treatment in infusion or radiation centers. The vitriol displayed by many has been a surprise to me. As with many elements of the experience in #CancerLand, so many people have strong opinions, yet it is the … Continue reading The Bell
No Half Measures 