Life Changing Cancer

In May, 2006, I was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, a rare and aggressive form of cancer with a poor prognosis. Information was hard to find, and I want to chronicle my experiences, to share what I have learned about this diagnosis and its physical and emotional implications. I also want to explore the spiritual implications of receiving a life threatening diagnosis.

Monday, September 25, 2006

All in the Same Boat

I mentioned in my last post that cancer affects far more than the person diagnosed. Over the past four months (yesterday was the four month ...

Friday, September 22, 2006

The Amusement Park - Not!

Since many/most of you reading this blog are friends and family, you already know this, but I need to write about it. Cancer affects far mo...

Monday, September 18, 2006

Good News!

As you know, I was scheduled for a CT scan this morning, followed by a meeting with the oncologist. As he reviewed the pictures from the CT...

Friday, September 15, 2006

Fear, Anxiety and Trepidation

Actually, I'm trying not to feel any of those things as my next CT scan approaches. Some of you know that I was originally scheduled for...

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

"Today is a good day to die"

Please don't panic! I'm not losing my will to live, or contemplating the end, I just had another epiphany today in what may feel lik...

Friday, September 08, 2006

Bittersweet

Last month, I was sitting on a Cape Cod beach with my family and friends when my friend Maria asked me if it was hard, being there, having f...

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Having Cancer: A Full-time Job

Having a cancer diagnosis is a full-time job, I've decided. I shared that observation with a nurse friend a few weeks ago, and she said ...

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Resting, Truly Resting

On this Labor Day weekend, I'm thinking about resting and not laboring. It's become a cliche in our culture to talk about how busy w...

Thursday, August 31, 2006

First Encounters

For anyone reading this post, here's a warning: I'm not feeling cheerful tonight, and I am feeling that Cancer Sucks! (A good frie...

Sunday, August 27, 2006

What Does it Mean When your Most Pampered Organ Develops Cancer?

So, here's the weird thing about my gallbladder cancer. Of all the organs in my body, except perhaps my skin, it's the one I've ...

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Naming the Relationship with Cancer, Part II

Since my post about whether to view the cancer as enemy or friend, I've continued to ask the question of how to name the relationship, m...

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Living, Really Living, Despite a Terminal Diagnosis

In my third blog entry, I began to write about the challenge of living with a terminal diagnosis. Some of the responses to that entry focuse...

Cancer: Call it enemy, or call it friend?

In his blog earlier this week, Leroy Siemens examines a posting from a mother who asks whether or not her daughter, who died from cancer, h...

Friday, August 11, 2006

Living, Not Dying, with Cancer

When I first received the diagnosis of terminal cancer, I was puzzled about how to live. Somehow, "taking to my bed" (as some folk...

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

How Did I get Here?

I haven't actually met someone else who's been diagnosed with gallbladder cancer (GBC), but I have read some stories in blogs and on...

Sunday, August 06, 2006

A Life Changing Diagnosis

Receiving a diagnosis of terminal cancer is a life changing event; it certainly was for me, two months ago. Since then, I have worked hard ...

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