About 30% of people diagnosed with breast cancer at any stage will develop distal metastasis. I am one.
I published this post a couple of years ago. I’m feeling pretty beat up today and going back to Invictus has helped me find the courage to keep on keeping on. Before going on to the old post, a little new information: The alien baby is definitely a new primary. It’s...
I am so ashamed. All these years I’ve been living in a snug little, smug little complacency bubble. At some point in the past decade and more I lost track of the fact that bone mets doesn’t stay put. I managed to turn my back on the fact that at...
I’m not even sure where to begin this post, so I’ll just jump in right about here and continue outward, possibly in several directions at once. I’ll be sure to sprinkle breadcrumbs along the way to help you follow. I was lying on my back on an examination table...
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...
During what has come to be known as the First Gulf War in 1991, Iraq bombarded Israel with Scuds (tactical ballistic missiles) that were believed to be armed with poison gas. The Israeli population was equipped with emergency kits that included a gas mask and filter and an atropine syringe....
I was listening to an audio book, a detective novel by Jeffery Deaver called XO, part of the Kathryn Dance series. The story is about a young country singer who is being stalked. This stalker is very clever, very intelligent, very skilled at not being where he might be expected to...
It’s no secret that a cancer diagnosis makes people depressed and anxious. It is less known that some medicines used in the treatment of breast cancer can cause anxiety, particularly hormonal treatments.(1) It is even less well known that, in contrast to the depression, which tends to decrease over time,...
First a quick update on the cancer front. There is new pain in my ribs. The diagnostic radiologist didn’t see anything on the ultrasound, so she’s recommending a PET-CT as the next step. I haven’t been able to reach my oncologist (who is the one who has to order it)...
This week I posted the last of three posts about my diagnosis with breast cancer at the end of 2003. Now it seems appropriate to post about my mastectomy. This post, originally called “Valentine’s Day 2004 or… I left my breast on the Mount of Olives” first ran on February...
I wrote Part 1 – Discovery of this series in December 2012, followed quickly by Part Two – Biopsy. It’s taken me over half a year to write the third part of the series. The biopsy was a traumatic experience for me and the way I write is to bring...
