DAY 23 of #HAWMC, PART 1: Write about a device I wish existed to help me track my health. I'd invent a portable meter-like device (like the one diabetics use) ...
Healing and dealing with life after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Showing posts with label #HAWMC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #HAWMC. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
AN ORDINARY SUNSET, DAY 22
DAY 22 of the #HAWMC challenge: Write about something ordinary that’s inspiring; something simple, perhaps overlooked.
Time to confess: I am a cloud chaser. I make it a point to look out the window every night to: A) see if there are any clouds in the sky; if so, then I: B) go outdoors and look up to determine whether what I see is sunset worthy. If yes, then I: C) grab my camera and head to the hiking trail. If no, then I: D) stay home and finish the dishes.
There is an odd cloud phenomenon that I've noticed; maybe you have too...
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| © 2013 theBigCandMe.blogspot.com |
There is an odd cloud phenomenon that I've noticed; maybe you have too...
Monday, April 22, 2013
HIKING IS THE BALM, DAYS 20 & 21
I'm a bit behind in my WEGO Challenge writing — which is appropriate since the topic I stalled on is burnout! With today being Earth Day and all, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone (pardon the nature idiom).
DAY 20 of the #HAWMC asks: What gets me OUT of burnout, or OUT of the pit of despair when nothing is going my way? I get thee to the wide-open spaces.
Hiking up a hill that spills out onto a breathtaking vista is the surest way for me to
put my problems into perspective. The sight of nature acts like a vacuum for my worries, sucking them into the wild, spewing them out across the valley floor, rendering them too infinitesimal to take me down.
I love to hike in the morning when the light is bright and the breeze still chill, before the air drifts up between the canyons and gets toasted by the sun.
I also love to hike when there is a threat of an approaching storm. Weather of any kind is a reminder that nature is in charge — and I am not alone.
Because it isn't just me up on that mountain; there is a pulsing world of wildlife living in the chaparral and the bunchgrass.
Bees and insects alight on dainty blossoms, ants aim for the lily leaves, flies feast on coyote scat. Rabbits run through sage scrub; deer disappear beneath the protective cloak of an evergreen, a sycamore, a bay laurel or a black walnut tree. The mountain sings with the sparrows and wrens, swoons with the red-tailed hawks, swoops with the eagles and falcons.
Lazy lizards with amputated tails stop to sunbathe, while ground squirrels appear like popcorn out of holes in the earth. Rattlesnakes and tarantulas co-exist — it's us that must make our peace with them.
I often encounter the unexpected when hiking, and I look for (and embrace) these moments.
It's always a good day when I spot a horse being worked out much like me on the trail. Or when I hear the roar of half a dozen cops on motorbikes who stop to shoo a king cobra off the trail and warn me of others farther down the hill.
I also know if I hike too close to sunset, I risk entering "Beauty and the Beast" zone. That's when nature puts on her technicolor light show, while hungry coyotes with their haunting howls hide stage left and right.
It's also when I see the evening birds fluttering above me in a quickly darkening sky and I recognize them for what they really are: These are the imposter birds. I pick up my pace and pull my hat a little lower over my brow, hoping to make it to my car before the bats drive-bomb my hair.
Despite my sundown dance with the Princes of Darkness, no matter when I take my leave of the mountain, I make sure to leave my troubles there too. Let the wildlife have at my worry; I've got some livin' to do.
DAY 21 of the #HAWMC asked me to ponder this quote: "The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all," then write about where I bloom best. I believe I just did. Two challenges in one post, two birds with one stone. Whew who!
DAY 20 of the #HAWMC asks: What gets me OUT of burnout, or OUT of the pit of despair when nothing is going my way? I get thee to the wide-open spaces.
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| Copyright TheBigCandMe blog |
Hiking up a hill that spills out onto a breathtaking vista is the surest way for me to
put my problems into perspective. The sight of nature acts like a vacuum for my worries, sucking them into the wild, spewing them out across the valley floor, rendering them too infinitesimal to take me down.
I love to hike in the morning when the light is bright and the breeze still chill, before the air drifts up between the canyons and gets toasted by the sun.
Because it isn't just me up on that mountain; there is a pulsing world of wildlife living in the chaparral and the bunchgrass.
Bees and insects alight on dainty blossoms, ants aim for the lily leaves, flies feast on coyote scat. Rabbits run through sage scrub; deer disappear beneath the protective cloak of an evergreen, a sycamore, a bay laurel or a black walnut tree. The mountain sings with the sparrows and wrens, swoons with the red-tailed hawks, swoops with the eagles and falcons.
I often encounter the unexpected when hiking, and I look for (and embrace) these moments. It's always a good day when I spot a horse being worked out much like me on the trail. Or when I hear the roar of half a dozen cops on motorbikes who stop to shoo a king cobra off the trail and warn me of others farther down the hill.
I also know if I hike too close to sunset, I risk entering "Beauty and the Beast" zone. That's when nature puts on her technicolor light show, while hungry coyotes with their haunting howls hide stage left and right.
It's also when I see the evening birds fluttering above me in a quickly darkening sky and I recognize them for what they really are: These are the imposter birds. I pick up my pace and pull my hat a little lower over my brow, hoping to make it to my car before the bats drive-bomb my hair.
DAY 21 of the #HAWMC asked me to ponder this quote: "The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all," then write about where I bloom best. I believe I just did. Two challenges in one post, two birds with one stone. Whew who!
Friday, April 19, 2013
VINTAGE ME, DAY 19
DAY 19 of #HAWMC — post a vintage image of myself and write a caption about it.
This photo was taken:
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| Copyright TheBigCandMe blog |
- 6 months after my siblings spun me around in my father's office chair, sending me flying into the furnace.
- 3 years before I would slice my lip on a broken china cup while pretending to sip tea with my dolls.
- 4 years before I would see the Pieta at the New York World's Fair.
- 7 years before I would develop a fear of dogs after being bitten by a German Shepherd, leaving me with a scar near my eye...
Thursday, April 18, 2013
SO LONG TO CINDY, DAY 18
DAY 18 of #HAWMC and I'm supposed to write about a time that I lashed out at someone close to me out of frustration/fear/anger caused by cancer.
Instead, I prefer to write tonight about the anger I feel that another lovely lady has passed away from cancer. Her name was Cindy. She had a very rare cancer: sarcoma of the upper arm.
I didn't know Cindy in person, but I followed her blog. In February 2013 she was given 6-12 months to live. Her friend Becky posted that Cindy died on April 4, 2013.
Cindy lived in New Mexico and in addition to writing about cancer, she loved to write about hiking and walking in nature. In fact, she devoted an entire section of her blog to what she called The Mind-Body Walk. I loved that part.
In honor of Cindy, I'd like to leave you with a bit of her writing....
Instead, I prefer to write tonight about the anger I feel that another lovely lady has passed away from cancer. Her name was Cindy. She had a very rare cancer: sarcoma of the upper arm.
I didn't know Cindy in person, but I followed her blog. In February 2013 she was given 6-12 months to live. Her friend Becky posted that Cindy died on April 4, 2013. Cindy lived in New Mexico and in addition to writing about cancer, she loved to write about hiking and walking in nature. In fact, she devoted an entire section of her blog to what she called The Mind-Body Walk. I loved that part.
In honor of Cindy, I'd like to leave you with a bit of her writing....
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
WORDLE WEDNESDAY, DAY 17
DAY 17 — Wordless Wednesday! As part of #HAWMC, we're creating word clouds via Wordle.net.
To come up with the words and terms I used in the cloud below, I perused many of the breast cancer blogs I follow and then selected a word or phrase from the title of a recent posting of three dozen of them. I love this wordle because it showcases what's on the minds of many breast cancer bloggers the past few weeks:
To come up with the words and terms I used in the cloud below, I perused many of the breast cancer blogs I follow and then selected a word or phrase from the title of a recent posting of three dozen of them. I love this wordle because it showcases what's on the minds of many breast cancer bloggers the past few weeks:
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
MY LITTLE WHITE LIE, DAY 16
DAY 16 of the #HAWMC is F-U-N! Lord knows we could use some levity in the wake of the horror in Boston.
Today, I'm going to tell you FOUR things about myself — but only three are true. One of them is a lie. Can you find it?
A) I used to work with Jim Carrey.
B) I'm allergic to nickel.
C) I performed in an improv troupe.
D) I left a million-dollar boyfriend for an unemployed jazz musician.
Today, I'm going to tell you FOUR things about myself — but only three are true. One of them is a lie. Can you find it?
In the comments section, tell me which of the following statements you don't think is true. I'll reveal the correct answer at the completion of the #HAWMC challenge!
A) I used to work with Jim Carrey.B) I'm allergic to nickel.
C) I performed in an improv troupe.
D) I left a million-dollar boyfriend for an unemployed jazz musician.
Monday, April 15, 2013
METS MONDAY, DAY 15
DAY 15 of the #HAWMC is about sharing. I've been asked to select someone else’s blog post, write a comment to them, then make that comment my post. The blog I've chosen to share dovetails with what we in the breast cancer blogging community call "Mets Monday." This is the day each week dedicated to promoting awareness of metastatic breast cancer.
Metastatic cancer occurs when cancer cells spread to another part of the body from where it was initially found. According to the National Cancer Institute, for example, breast cancer that has spread to the lung is metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer. (To learn more about metastatic breast cancer, please visit METAvivor.org as well as the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network.)
Today, I am highlighting one of my favorite bloggers — Kate, a 33-year-old wife and mother living in Norway and dealing daily with the reality of metastatic breast cancer...
Metastatic cancer occurs when cancer cells spread to another part of the body from where it was initially found. According to the National Cancer Institute, for example, breast cancer that has spread to the lung is metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer. (To learn more about metastatic breast cancer, please visit METAvivor.org as well as the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network.)
Today, I am highlighting one of my favorite bloggers — Kate, a 33-year-old wife and mother living in Norway and dealing daily with the reality of metastatic breast cancer...SHARING THE LOVE, DAY 14
DAY 14 of the #HAWMC challenge gives me a chance to thank a few of my fellow Health Activists. I participated in last year's #HAWMC and writing every day under a specific topic can feel, well, forced. And challenging. This is my shout out to a few of my fellow breast cancer bloggers who are taking part in the WEGO challenge, despite the commitment (and writers block!) that a daily prompt can bring.
I chose to highlight snippets from each blogger's Day #10 challenge; that's the day we shared our favorite images of ourselves, and I think it provides you, the reader, with a sense of who these ladies are and why I think they're terrific! (Just click on the links below to read their fabulous posts in full.)...
I chose to highlight snippets from each blogger's Day #10 challenge; that's the day we shared our favorite images of ourselves, and I think it provides you, the reader, with a sense of who these ladies are and why I think they're terrific! (Just click on the links below to read their fabulous posts in full.)...
Sunday, April 14, 2013
ACROSTIC BREAST CANCER, DAY 13
DAY 13 of the #HAWMC challenge: Write a health "acrostic" (acrostic = a poem where every letter of a word serves as the first letter of a word or phrase) for my health condition. Since I write about breast cancer and reconstruction, I've combined them.
BILATERAL
RECONSTRUCTION:
ELECTIVE,
AGGRESSIVE
SURGICAL
THERAPY.
CANCER
ANNIHILATES
NORMALCY,
CREATING
EGREGIOUS
REPERCUSSIONS.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
HOW I HANDLED THE BIG C NEWS, DAY 12
On DAY 12 of the Wego Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge, I'm asked a simple question: "If you could go back in time and talk to yourself on the day of diagnosis, what would you say?" Well, I probably wouldn't stop talking if I had it to do over again. The way it went down, I hardly talked at all that day. Here's why.
I waited about five days between biopsy and phone call. When the phone finally rang at lunchtime on December 8, 2011, I heard Dr. S. (my primary physician) say in a very upbeat voice, "Well, I have your test results!"
And I thought: Oh good! In the nanosecond between his comment and mine, I really (no, really) thought he was going to give me good news, that the biopsy revealed nothing. I to this day can remember how my body suddenly relaxed.
I waited about five days between biopsy and phone call. When the phone finally rang at lunchtime on December 8, 2011, I heard Dr. S. (my primary physician) say in a very upbeat voice, "Well, I have your test results!"
And I thought: Oh good! In the nanosecond between his comment and mine, I really (no, really) thought he was going to give me good news, that the biopsy revealed nothing. I to this day can remember how my body suddenly relaxed.
But then he dropped the C-bomb...
Thursday, April 11, 2013
CRAZY FOR TWITTER, DAY 11
Day 11 of the Wego Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge asks us to write about our favorite social network.
I'm crazy for Twitter! Which is completely crazy, because until two weeks ago I was a Twitter holdout. But I folded up my fear and finally completed my account. My impetus? To participate in the Monday night #BCSM Tweetchat (yes, I'm impressed I even knew what #BCSM meant too!).
On Twitter, #BCSM stands for "The Intersection of Breast Cancer and Social Media." This online community was founded in 2011 by Jody Schoger and Alicia Staley (both breast cancer survivors), along with Dr. Deanna J. Attai, a board-certified breast surgeon. In April of 2013, they created a BCSM blog, and posted a terrific article entitled, "Respect the Hashtag." Check it out to learn more about the proper ways to post on Twitter and #BCSM.
The #BCSM’s mission: "To help support, empower and inform women about issues related to breast cancer." #BCSM is an awesome group of women and men who have cancer, had cancer or have an interest in cancer. However, #BCSM Twitterchats are not for the faint of heart! They move quickly, and I am slowly getting the hang of thinking of short but relevant things to tweet. Join us every Monday night at 9 PM Eastern Time, 8 PM Central Time and 6 PM Pacific Time.
I know now why I was afraid of Twitter: I didn't understand it. I thought it was something I could only access from my smart phone. (Which I didn't even own until last Christmas. Silly me.) My world has been widened: I've since figured out how to "follow" folks (475 and counting!), and it's been great fun to watch as people "follow" me (150 and counting).
To follow me on Twitter, click here. See you Monday night!
On Twitter, #BCSM stands for "The Intersection of Breast Cancer and Social Media." This online community was founded in 2011 by Jody Schoger and Alicia Staley (both breast cancer survivors), along with Dr. Deanna J. Attai, a board-certified breast surgeon. In April of 2013, they created a BCSM blog, and posted a terrific article entitled, "Respect the Hashtag." Check it out to learn more about the proper ways to post on Twitter and #BCSM.
The #BCSM’s mission: "To help support, empower and inform women about issues related to breast cancer." #BCSM is an awesome group of women and men who have cancer, had cancer or have an interest in cancer. However, #BCSM Twitterchats are not for the faint of heart! They move quickly, and I am slowly getting the hang of thinking of short but relevant things to tweet. Join us every Monday night at 9 PM Eastern Time, 8 PM Central Time and 6 PM Pacific Time.
I know now why I was afraid of Twitter: I didn't understand it. I thought it was something I could only access from my smart phone. (Which I didn't even own until last Christmas. Silly me.) My world has been widened: I've since figured out how to "follow" folks (475 and counting!), and it's been great fun to watch as people "follow" me (150 and counting).
To follow me on Twitter, click here. See you Monday night!
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY, DAY 10
DAY 10 of the Wego Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge: It's Wordless Wednesday (YAY!) and I'm to post my favorite picture of myself. I chose this photo for five reasons:
- It's a self-portrait
- It was taken post-cancer and represents my "new" life
- It was shot at the beach (one of my favorite places!)
- It was taken on a day I was hanging out with my friend R., who has metastatic breast cancer. When I see this image, it reminds me of her. (R. is doing remarkably well despite having mets for many years. She is feeling terrific. BIG shout-out to R.!)
- It represents the mystery in me. You may have noticed that I'm rather shy about revealing who I am on my blog. That may seem strange since I'm certainly not shy about writing about breast cancer! But I find it more liberating to write from behind the shadows. Of course, this could change at any time. But that day is not today.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
5 TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS, DAY 9
DAY 9 of the WEGO Health Activist Writers Month Challenge is about caregiving and to me that means easing the pressure on everyone involved.
As a cancer patient, I've been on the receiving end of plenty of caregiving; as a daughter, I've been on the caregiving end to both of my parents at various times. Below are some strategies that fit both scenarios.
5 TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS...
As a cancer patient, I've been on the receiving end of plenty of caregiving; as a daughter, I've been on the caregiving end to both of my parents at various times. Below are some strategies that fit both scenarios.
5 TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS...
Saturday, April 6, 2013
10 THOUGHTS ABOUT CANCER
DAY 6 dawns on the WEGO Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge. Last year, we were asked to write a letter to our 16-year-old selves. That was a toughie...
Thursday, April 4, 2013
BREAST CANCER SURGERY TIPS
After my double mastectomy in February 2011, I compiled a list of things that helped me prepare both before and after surgery. I hit a nerve — it's my blog post with the greatest number of hits.Some of these tips apply before your surgery, some during, and some afterwards. With some minor tweaks to update a few items (for example, I combined shopping tips and added a photography section), here are my TIPS ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR BREAST CANCER SURGERY. I hope it helps you or someone you know. Please feel free to share!
Monday, April 1, 2013
FEAR FACTOR, DAY 1
Today is Day 1 of the 2013 Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge (HAWMC). I took part in the challenge last year, too, so this is my second time at bat. The daily writing process last year was challenging and invigorating yet also very fun. My favorite part was bonding with other breast cancer bloggers. And I hope some of them will join me again this year! The HAWMC challenge forced me to write faster, and more frequently, and since I have trouble with both, it pushes me to be a better blogger. So I'm jumping in again and looking forward to where the month will lead! Let's get to it...
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