Fifteen years ago, today, at the beginning of 2007, I sat in the chemo chair for the last time. It was my last 6 hours of treatment, which led to the beautiful words “cancer free.” I got to wear the elephant scarf (not sure why it was an elephant) and sign my name to the … Continue reading Cancer Free
Cancer
For Bev
I don’t know when I first met my childhood friend Beverly Stripling. It seems like we have known each other forever, because we went to the same church for decades. Her death this week has me nostalgic. One of my first memories of her was fighting with her during our elementary years. One incident in … Continue reading For Bev
“You Have Cancer”
Fifteen years ago, today, I heard those terrible words. A fog descended immediately, kind of like when I was in transition during childbirth. In a room with my husband and doctors…yet all alone at the same time. Otherworldly. Trapped between before and after. Between healthy and sick. Between old and new realities. In case you … Continue reading “You Have Cancer”
Borrowed Time
It has been 12 years today since I was diagnosed with cancer. It was one of the hardest days of my life. This blog is something I wrote during that time and then edited to be the beginning of a book about my journey. I have never finished the book, but I did want to mark … Continue reading Borrowed Time
A Tribute to Tenacity
My friend Marcia died this weekend. My heart is broken. The last time I talked to her was in October when I went to the oncologist for my check up and she was in the chemo lab. She was her same spunky self, though a bit weaker than usual. It was most likely going to … Continue reading A Tribute to Tenacity
Spa Day
A lovely lady walked me down a short hallway. She handed me off to another lovely lady, whose hospitality was charming. We chitchatted as she walked me to the dressing room, where she handed me a warm robe. What a luxurious thing. Enveloped by warmth, I wondered why I didn’t have a robe warmer at … Continue reading Spa Day
11
It is somehow appropriate that tonight is a full moon, here at the beginning of a new year, and on this day specifically; January 2nd. Eleven years…cancer free. At this time all those years ago, I was finishing up my final 8-hour treatment and heading home for a celebration dinner Louise had prepared. It was … Continue reading 11
The New Normal
“You will find a new normal.” I have heard the phrase many times, and in fact, I have said it to others in trying circumstances. The new normal seems like a goal, a hidden place where all things line up once again. However, what no one talks about is the strong longing for the old … Continue reading The New Normal
I Am in Remission!
Remission. In Cancerland, it is a wonderful word. A word which is coveted by every person in the chemo room, doctor’s office, hospital, or lab. It is every patient’s goal to hear that word, and every doctor’s desire to say it. It means the diminution of the disease…the cancellation of cancer. The origin of the … Continue reading I Am in Remission!
Beating the Odds
I have always hated math. It is no secret. Anyone who has known me for any length of time can tell you. I regularly communicate to my students that when I was a kid, I used to pray to God every night to take away multiplication. I distinctly remember this prayer, because it was one … Continue reading Beating the Odds
Michelle's Mosaic 