Is Cancer a Journey or a Destination?

I’m depressed. I’ve been dealing with depression most of my life, so I know it when I see it. My mom had it and so did her mother. I have some pretty good coping mechanisms, but they aren’t working this time.

I’ve been doing well—getting back into the swing of things and feeling really good, if not great. But alas, sometimes three steps forward comes with two steps back.

I’ve been doing well—getting back into the swing of things and feeling really good, if not great. But alas, sometimes three steps forward comes with two steps back.

Note: If you haven’t read the first part of Spontaneous Combustion, this post won’t make sense to you. Take a look at that one and then come back here!

My husband and I have had this “thing” for the past several years about renewing our vows. It started as we approached our 20-year anniversary. I suggested that we renew our vows. His response was swift and definitive and went something like: “No, I did it once and I don’t need to do it again.…

Followers, today I am pleased to introduce you to our first guest blogger, Melissa Fleming. Melissa is currently the head of Communications and chief spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She leads global media outreach and campaigns, and operates multi-media news and feature service. From October 2016 to April 2017, she served…

“It’s not that I don’t love my breasts, I guess I just love me more.”

I’ve always known I was a fighter, but a survivor? Not so much. My mother; now she was a survivor. She fled a 20-year abusive marriage with nothing but a high school education and four kids in tow, the youngest being 7 (me), and she created the best life she could. That’s what I call…

When I was in college and later in my early 20s, our girl posse would get together, sit around in cute pajamas or Juicy Couture tracksuits, drinking cheap wine, munching on nachos, and playing one of two games – the utterly silly “Have You Ever?” or the more intriguing game “What’s Your Number?”

Life is complicated. That’s not a revelation, but sometimes we forget. Life is complicated. For everyone.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to share some resources that have helped me on and off through my journey in understanding what was happening to me, but also giving me different perspectives. I share these with you in hopes they may also be helpful to you. Please feel free to share…

In 1984, Disco Diva Patti LaBelle released a song called “New Attitude.” I can’t remember the lyrics, but if I close my eyes and think about it, I am quickly transported back to the mid-'80s when I taught aerobics.

Conspicuous Courage

“WHEN VISITING A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS SICK, IT’S GOOD TO LEAVE PLATITUDES AT THE DOOR.

I’ve been writing this blog post for months–many months. I think my last post was in May. This is unusual for me. It generally takes me an hour to write a post, another hour to marinade on it and then about 30 minutes to post it.

I had another surgery in January—four weeks ago in fact. I’ve now lost count of how many re-revisions of breast reconstruction I’ve had. I wonder how many surgeries you can have before the rest of your body breaks down.

In each of the pictures below, except one, I’m wearing a different wig. The “one” where I’m not (in case it isn’t obvious) is when my fur baby, Chivas, decided to get in the wig game.. 🙂

People have frequently asked me how I decided to have a double mastectomy vs. a lumpectomy or to have the diseased breast removed. It wasn’t an easy decision for me, but it was a quick one, and once I made it, I never looked back.

For me, when I sat in the chair to start my first chemotherapy infusion was when my cancer felt very real. Something about knowing that poison would be pumped through my system for several hours was really unsettling, as I imagine it would be for anyone.