Grounded!
Be careful what you wish for.Last week I was back in my plastic surgeon's office. I love Dr. K - she was a real support through the whole breast cancer treatment. Still, I hadn't expected to see her...
View ArticleDitto
Went for my annual physical today.John's been my doctor for nearly 20 years. His advice has always served me well and I wanted his take on the situation. After reading Dr. Kennedy's letter, he told me...
View ArticleNot What I Expected
As I talk to people about taking a leave of absence - especially drafting an email to the personnel committee - it becomes clear how many things have "fallen into place" to support this time away.Last...
View ArticleMy Someday List
Yesterday, someone asked me what I'd do with my time in the coming months. I didn't really know. It seems like I've been keeping a list of things "I'll get to someday" for years. Here's a short list...
View ArticleThe Year of Contemplation and Self-Care
Today I created a calendar of events for the middle school youth group: checking through the school district's calendar for school holidays, noting the dates for Advent, Shrove Tuesday, and Easter...
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The Cancer Collage - How Did I Get Here?
Today is the first official day of my possibly year-long medical leave.It's August. Maybe that's why being "on leave" sounds so strange. No one's around in August. The only work I do in August is get...
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Collage Pic 1
This picture was taken on April 22, 2011. It was Good Friday. Earlier that week I'd had an ultrasound-guided mammogram that showed "five areas of concern." No diagnosis, but the nurse hugged me at the...
View ArticleSabbath-keeping
Tomorrow I will celebrate the Sabbath again.I've tried to keep the Sabbath for several years. Two things always seemed to prevent me. The first was being sufficiently prepared for a day of no cooking,...
View ArticleGo forth into the world, be of good courage...
I didn't cook this afternoon as I have on previous Fridays. A friend of mine, who just finished chemotherapy for Stage III breast cancer, called me this morning. She had some questions to ask her...
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Pics 2 and 3: Staying in the Present
Pictures 2 and 3 in my collage were both taken in May 2011. By this time, all the tests - ultrasound, biopsy, breast MRI - had been done. They all seemed to show invasive ductal carcinoma. We wouldn't...
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Collage Pic 4: Thang's graduation
On June 6, 2011, I had a bilateral mastectomy and two tissue expanders inserted for the beginning stages of breast reconstruction. So I missed a good portion of Thang's last month of high school. But...
View ArticleThe Time Thief
A thief has been stealing bits and pieces of my life. Pilfering 15 minutes here, an hour there, until significant chunks of time are missing. Chunks large enough to make progress on the innumerable...
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Collage Pic 5: The Trip I Didn't Take
Home from Europe!Contemplating the 5th picture in my cancer collage is harder than I expected. In this photo, Elaina (on the left) is telling me what she saw, what she liked best, and what she bought...
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Collage Pic 6: The Beauty of Symmetry
Another story from my Cancer Collage.I remember taking this photo with my phone. Too excited to wait for Kent to come home and use the camera.It was sometime in July 2011. The day started with a...
View ArticleThe Essentials of Recovery
Last Tuesday night, I attended a support group for breast cancer survivors at Saratoga Hospital. A friend of mine participated in the group and emailed me reminders about it for several months. I...
View ArticlePraying for justice, not "just us"
I'm going back to work today. My doctor gave me clearance to "ease back in," which means I'm going to start working 10-12 hours each week. The church leadership team suggested I work "quarter-time" for...
View ArticleWhen Blogging = Too Much Information
One problem with having a blog is what do you write about when you don't want to go public with what's on your mind? It occurs to me now that I could have just written about something else. Anything...
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Rescued: Blessing the Dogs
Today, I was asked to bless the dogs assembled for the third annual Purple Pooch Parade in Congress Park. The "parade" is organized by the Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services of Saratoga County...
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Collage Pic 7: When Words Aren't Enough
One down! Seven to go.The other day I sat with a woman getting her first dose of chemotherapy. She was a grandmother, raising a grandson who, though nearly grown, was still pretty scared for the both...
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Collage Pic 8: First "Chemo Day"
Last week, I wrote about smiling for a picture after my first chemo treatment:What surprised me was being able to smile during my chemo treatment. I hadn't expected that. The room where I received my...
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Redefining "Good Day"
I attended a lecture at Albany Medical College the other week entitled "Living with Chronic Illness." It sought to give medical students insight into the daily reality of people living with incurable...
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Collage Pic 11: What Love Looks Like
It's been a while since I posted here, so I decided to pick up the thread of the story with the next photo in my Cancer Collage.I'd been cutting my hair shorter as the weeks advanced toward...
View ArticleIn the Spring
Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, "In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love." Young men aren't the only ones affected. Birds are singing with a new intensity. Right outside my...
View ArticleGun Violence Can't Become America's New Normal
I come from a "military" family. At least that's how my mother always described it.Members of my family have served in every branch of the military for several generations. Some are active duty today....
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