I feel like my last couple posts of late have been somewhat negative. I’m okay with that. In fact, I intend to continue in the same vein until mid-December, so be sure to stay tuned! But before we embark on two more weeks of hilarity, I would like to riff on the topic of gratitude. … Read more
I was interested in this article about Chemo-brain that appeared in USA Today on Thursday. A recent study of breast-cancer survivors suggests that that chemotherapy changes the brain’s frontal cortex functions, and that memory loss associated with chemo lasts much longer than originally thought—a decade or longer. No one seems worried that any patients will … Read more
I have a strange, late-night addiction to internet cancer surfing. I doubt it is particularly healthy. More likely it would be healthier to go to bed before 2 AM for once and get a bit more sleep. I got in the habit after I was diagnosed and was facing decisions regarding treatment options. I spent … Read more
I thought it would be good to start with my history, and how I’ve come to the practice I have so far: I was diagnosed with colon cancer at the end of 2003. My surgery happened in December, a few days before my birthday. I started a meditation practice to aid both in the emotional … Read more
For the past few days I’ve been dragging myself over coals on a couple of short stories like they meant everything. Not that they mean nothing. But at the same time I had my little scare…because when you are like me, everything is a little scare…constipation, a cold, an ache, an odd looking sore. So … Read more
Yesterday everyone came home…well actually Mom arrived in Sarasota around midnight on Tuesday, but close enough. Wednesday mid-morning I hit the road, and even managed to make it back to Tallahassee for my evening Victorian Literature class, the last of the semester. Dad was discharged from the hospital…so anyone who was planning to call there … Read more
Another day at the hospital…The biggest news is probably that Dad’s pathology report came back and was very favorable (for being cancer of course.)The tumor was stage one, which means it had not broken through the intestinal wall, nor was there any lymph involvement. It is very unlikely that any oncologist will advise further treatment … Read more
Although periodically disoriented, and consistently in some pain, Dad made good progress today. Right at the beginning of the day they put him in a chair. He dozed for most of an hour before going back to bed. When they came to bathe him he was confused about the day, saying that he had “just … Read more
(It always seems to happen so fast…For the next few days, I’ll let this blog become my place to post updates my Dad’s health, giving more detailed account than one might want to give over the phone too many times.) Yesterday I was lying in the backyard at a friend’s house. Though books and student … Read more