Last Monday, my 15 month old daughter went in for surgery on her kidneys and bladder. They told us it would take 4-5 hours; we ended up waiting for more than 7. There were periodic calls from inside the OR, assuring us that everything was going well, but it was still an agonizing time. I expected […]
surgery
Remove Your Appendix
When was the last time you thought about your appendix? Unless you’ve experienced appendicitis, you’ve probably never considered your appendix at all. It’s a completely unnecessary part of your body. It serves no purpose whatsoever. It’s like a fork when you’re eating hot dogs: positioned near the action, but never in use. What else, in […]
How Scars Become Beautiful
One doesn’t get to adulthood without acquiring a few scars, of both the emotional and physical kind. You could be emotionally scarred from a difficult childhood, from being bullied, rejected, dumped or passed over. You could be physically scarred by broken bones, surgeries, regretted tattoos, or self-mutilation. Everyone carries the scars of aging, which include wrinkles, gray hairs […]
Laura’s Breast Cancer Story
This week, I’m publishing stories of other cancer fighters and survivors. Monday’s post featured Marie’s story. Today’s post features Laura, my partner in cancer, friendship and sisterhood. Laura has been my best friend since second grade (that’s 25 years) and we’ve had the mutual curse to have cancer at young ages, and the blessing to […]
My Cancer Story
Thank you all for your wonderful responses to Monday’s cancer story series kick-off post, Cancer-Free…But Maybe Not. My biopsy is scheduled for next Monday, and it’ll be up to a week afterward before I hear the results. Several people have asked me how I’m coping with the wait. The answer is: I feel perfectly fine […]
Gratitude When Times Are Tough
“The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” -Ernest Hemingway Everyone goes through tough times. Everyone. What distinguishes the survivors from the thrivers is not the severity of the suffering, but the ability to rise above it. Some people experience profound life losses and find themselves capable of moving forward […]