Welcome to The Intersection of Cancer and Life, a podcast about what happens when cancer, and life, put you on the road you never expected to travel. On this podcast, I talk to survivors, thrivers, and supporters about what life really looks like with cancer - the good, the difficult, and sometimes the really ridiculous. … Continue reading Welcome to The Intersection of Cancer and Life!
Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
Today, October 13th, is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. However, for me, every day since November 28, 2017, has been metastatic breast cancer awareness day. Each day, I live with metastatic breast cancer, and it permeates almost everything I do, from medication timing to dietary restrictions, to talk of medical bills to future vacations and … Continue reading Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
Announcing…
The Intersection of Cancer and Life, a podcast that talks about the lives we rebuild after a cancer diagnosis. It's not the road we ever expected, but it's one hell of a journey. This podcast has been many, many months in the works, and I am so incredibly excited to finally share it with the … Continue reading Announcing…
Stephanie’s Letter
Stephanie writes: I waited until the last month of my 40th year to tell my dr I needed orders for my first mammogram. The way I saw it was, hey I’m still 40 so I have until the absolute last day before I turn 41. So I was to turn 41 in early January so … Continue reading Stephanie’s Letter
Final Notes on My Hysterectomy
It's been five weeks since my hysterectomy, and I can still say that my recovery has been much better than expected. I have had no complications up to this point, and physically, I don't really feel like I just had surgery. I was surprised at how minimally invasive the laparoscopic surgery really was, and my … Continue reading Final Notes on My Hysterectomy
Waiting
In the car, on the way to my first oncology appointment, I had what, in hindsight, could only be seen as a mental dissociation. I spun out of control, unable to grasp my cancer diagnosis, completely convinced this was all an elaborate mistake. My brain was stuck in a cycle of deep denial, and I … Continue reading Waiting
Scanxiety
I have my fourth scan today. My third since starting treatment. I’m finishing my ninth cycle of Ibrance. Life still feels tremendously incremental, as if I live from week to week. Each Wednesday afternoon when I refill my pill pack for the upcoming seven days, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was … Continue reading Scanxiety
Abigail’s Letter
Abigail writes: Dear newly diagnosed fellow breast cancer thriver: The beginning is overwhelming in every sense of the word. In fact, the word overwhelming does not capture the initial feelings of helplessness and fear and worry and every negative emotion you can name. For me, we though I was stage II only to find out … Continue reading Abigail’s Letter
Salpingo-Oophor-Hysterectomy: All the Oophing Details
I'm now five days post-op, and - spoiler alert - I am recovering better than I expected. Last Thursday, I underwent a total salpingo-oophor-hysterectomy, which in non-medical-jibberish means that I had my ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix removed. I elected to undergo the surgery because my breast cancer is estrogen driven, and the ovaries … Continue reading Salpingo-Oophor-Hysterectomy: All the Oophing Details
Family Medical Bingo (Alternate Title: My Hysterectomy Was Not the Big Medical Event of the Week)
Well, I'm glad that this week is over. I'm about 48 hours post-op from my hysterectomy, and all things considered, I'm doing well. However, our family had quite the eventful week, medically speaking, so let's back up a bit, shall we? On Monday evening, I noticed that Felix had a rather large, angry-looking bug bite … Continue reading Family Medical Bingo (Alternate Title: My Hysterectomy Was Not the Big Medical Event of the Week)
