It's with many many many mixed feelings that we officially announce our move from Miami back to Orlando in June of this year after the boys finish the 2021/2022 school year. As many of you know, when I was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer back in 2017, we moved to Miami to be … Continue reading BIG NEWS!!
I don’t want to be in the middle!!!
As the eldest of six (6), I've never experienced the woes of the middle children, but I think I might be starting to understand a little of how/why they tend have some objections to the way they are treated. My experiences aren't the result of family dynamics, but the experience of being a patient who … Continue reading I don’t want to be in the middle!!!
When you feel brushed aside … a bit of a rant …
I’m not habitually a complainer. My main focus for most of my life has been to be a planner, a caregiver, a problem solver. I was the person that others asked for help with legal issues in my professional life and that definitely affected my personal life as well. Sure, there were always stressors and … Continue reading When you feel brushed aside … a bit of a rant …
Patient Centric
For the last five (5) years, I’ve been an active patient. This means I see a plethora of doctors regularly in a variety of places/states/types of offices, I have a pharmacy in my bathroom for cancer treatments and all the side effucks, and I’m in infusions centers, phlebotomy labs and hospitals regularly. I also ask … Continue reading Patient Centric
Tumor Heterogeneity
"Tumor Heterogeneity" (TH) is a phrase that often comes up in discussions with my medical team and with researchers as we all attempt to understand and anticipate the behavior of the cancer cells. From some of my discussions with other patients on social media, there does seem to be a lot of confusion about this … Continue reading Tumor Heterogeneity
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
No Half Measures 