Category: Living intentionally
15 Random Things
I can’t stand talking about cancer at the moment. Still no report from the “alien baby” biopsy. Still no respite from the pain. So no cancer talk from me today. Instead, a day (week? fortnight?) late and a dollar (pound? euro?) short, here are 15 random things about me that...
What Was Taken, What Remains
Cancer is a thief, a cowardly thief. A mugger. A highway robber. Cancer waits at the side of the road until you walk by, just going about the business of living, and swoops down to denude you of almost everything. It’s an ambush. What did cancer steal from me? *...
Survivor Guilt. Part I of a series.
We don’t often talk about the guilt felt by so many people living with cancer. I think we should talk about it more. Guilt is one of those mushroom-like things that grow best in dark places that are rarely exposed to sunlight and air. Shining a light on our guilt,...
Ending Treatment: A guest post by Sherri Fillipo
Sherri Fillipo is a now-retired registered nurse. On her blog she writes “This is my story – living and dying with metastatic breast cancer. Once a nurse and now a patient, I love how seaglass captures what cancer has done for me – softened and rounded my hard edges. Like the...
Why I Lied to My Doctor
Even people who are generally honest and trustworthy may lie on occasion. Maybe they want to avoid something unpleasant: Sorry, boss. There was a road accident and that’s why I’m late. (I overslept.) I wish I could go to the collectibles exhibition, but I have the most awful headache. (Nothing...
Reaching Deep
Today isn’t really a good day, physically. I’m very tired and ache-y. It was beyond me to get up and get dressed so I spend the day in a housecoat and house shoes, not moving much more than from bed to kitchen to make some tea, over to the computer...
Birthday Thoughts: On Turning Sixty
When I was a teenager my little brother was pretty sure I wouldn’t make it to 21. When I was 28 a plane I was on had to make an emergency landing, and I was pretty sure I wouldn’t see 29. For an infinitely long split second when I was...
Cancertainment
I wrote this in June of 2013. A lot has changed since then, notably my feelings about progression. A lot has stayed the same, too. I recently reacted strongly to an episode of Call the Midwife that featured breast cancer. It made me remember this post. Have you noticed how...
A Good Day
On the phone with my dear friend Aliza: “I want to write a new post but I don’t have a topic.” “A good day.” “What?” “Write about a good day.” Hmm… It never occurred to me, but what a great idea! So here it is: what a good day looks like...