I’ve always known that the drowsy little metastatic buggers that took up residence in my body just about two years ago when I was diagnosed with a recurrence of my breast cancer would one day stretch their arms and legs … Continue reading
Karma 206
The fog is thick over the Stockbridge Bowl this morning. It is my final day of a self-imposed retreat that brought me back to Kripalu in the Berkshires, where I have spent several days reading the final proof of my … Continue reading
“Cover” Me
I’m happy…seriously happy! After a few rough months of recuperation from the CyberKnife therapy to my spine, and a whopping bout of pneumonia that sidelined me, I feel rested and ready for life, PET scans and all! My book, “A … Continue reading
Crisis or opportunity…gratitude awaits…
Each phase of this long, slow dance with cancer has allowed me to experience one medical miracle after another, a treatment or a therapy that until quite recently had not been in existence, not an option, not a door, not … Continue reading
The Good, The Bad, and the Not-So-Ugly
This morning, when I arrived bright and early at my beloved Fr. Michael McGivney Center for Cancer Care at Saint Raphael Hospital in New Haven, CT, (yes, I know, they were recently acquired by Yale Medical Center, but it will … Continue reading
Liberating or Crushing…The Cross
I was asked by my church community, Saint Thomas More the Catholic Chapel at Yale, in New Haven, Connecticut, to write a reflection for Good Friday, to be shared with the entire community. It is an honor to share it … Continue reading
Mon arrivée surprise! (My surprise finish!)
One aspect of breast cancer I had no experience with until now was radiation therapy. My protocol began on January 25th and would be 30 treatments, Monday through Friday, with weekends off. Unfortunately, I was forced to take a two-week … Continue reading
Joy Waiting
Ahhh, March Madness…I’m down to the “Final Four”…radiation treatments, that is, not basketball tournaments! I began my 30 treatment regimen on January 25th, my son’s 18th birthday. Eddy missed a few classes that morning to accompany me to the cancer … Continue reading
Meet: Justin & Mary
When you have five minutes left, are you going to waste a single one of them being unhappy? Not me. I was thrilled for the extra time this Leap Year provided us all with…1 more day, 24 more hours, … Continue reading
“Zapped!”… Day 1
I have spent the last month preparing myself in many ways for the 6 weeks of daily radiation therapy that is the next phase of my breast cancer relapse oncology protocol…lots of scans and tests and consults…and re-scanning, re-testing, and … Continue reading
