Book Review: Hope Rising; How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life

Recently, a dear friend and fellow MBC'er Andra Kalnins and her sister, Ilga Leimanis, began posting about their project entitled "Sister Hope." I was intrigued and followed how they presented the culmination of their discussions and activities as they worked together to process Andra's recurrent Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer diagnosis. As I did, I … Continue reading Book Review: Hope Rising; How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life →

Guilt vs Shame, Part II

In Part I, which was published last week and you can access here, I examined whether a person struggling with what they are labeling "survivor's guilt" are actually experiencing shame. My conclusion, based on the definitions, my own experiences, and some research, was that there is a combination of both. One element that I believe … Continue reading Guilt vs Shame, Part II →

Book Review: The Gardener and the Carpenter

A little over nine (9) years ago, my husband and I became parents for the first time after some struggles with infertility (I had a hormonal imbalance). That day feels like 100 years ago and yet yesterday. Prior to our eldest son's birth, we spent a lot of time talking, thinking, and reading about parenting … Continue reading Book Review: The Gardener and the Carpenter →

Guilt v Shame, Part I

Recently, I was talking with someone who doesn't have a genetic propensity for cancer while her sister not only inherited the propensity but also has de novo Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). In discussing how this dichotomy is dealt with in their family versus my own, she mentioned that she has had to deal … Continue reading Guilt v Shame, Part I →

Genomic Testing of Liver Tissue

Back in January, I had a biopsy done of two of the three largest liver mets that were part of the progression found by the January PET/CT. I wrote the following three (3) posts as we learned more about the first soft tissue metastases that we've ever been able to test: Brace, Brace, BraceReceptorsMutations Become … Continue reading Genomic Testing of Liver Tissue →

The conundrum of Will Smith’s slap

Recently, the world was rocked a little when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on live television. My husband told me about it around the time that it happened and I watched social media explore the issues for the next few days. There are many strong views offered up on all sides of the issue, many … Continue reading The conundrum of Will Smith’s slap →

Aging and Cognitive Decline

One of the scariest side effects of ongoing cancer treatment, for me, is the affect on my cognitive abilities. There's a fancy term for this -- treatment related cognitive impairment -- but most people call this "chemo brain." For me, it was years after IV chemotherapy when a physical medicine doctor finally noticed that I … Continue reading Aging and Cognitive Decline →

Book Review: The Gifts of Imperfection

Reading has often been an escape for me. I learned to speed read at some point in my schooling years and part of that experience is to immerse myself wholly in whatever I'm reading. Since my diagnosis with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) in 2017, reading has become even more important. From learning about … Continue reading Book Review: The Gifts of Imperfection →

Expert Level: Oppressed

Recently, a dear friend, Megan Claire Chase a/k/a Warrior Megsie, shared the below video on her social media channels during the month of February, which is also known as Black History Awareness Month. If you don't already follow her on social media, you should definitely do yourself a favor and follow her now -- outside … Continue reading Expert Level: Oppressed →

To my Eldest son on the 9th anniversary of his birth

Liam-- Every year, on the anniversary of your birth, I think about those days leading up to you joining us earthside and how much anticipation there was. Your Dad and I thought we knew some of what might change, but we had no idea how much our lives would be entirely different after you arrived. … Continue reading To my Eldest son on the 9th anniversary of his birth →