Its officially October, which means its National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Founded in 1985 by the American Cancer Society,  NBCAM focuses on highlighting the ways ACS "fights breast cancer by helping women get tested to find breast cancer earlier, understand their treatment options, and cope with the physical and emotional side effects of the disease. … Continue reading It’s October →

Last week I got to spend 5 days in California on a trip that had been booked since February. And because the world works in fortuitous and mysterious ways, this trip couldn't have been more perfectly timed. Last Tuesday I did Round 4 of chemo, this time without the Carboplatin because in the words of … Continue reading California Dreaming →

Week 3 of chemo was the week chemo tried to kill me, which led to week 4 of chemo being the week cancer started to feel really real. There's nothing quite like a 36 hour hospital stay to force you to come to terms with the fact that you're sick. So Thursday, once I was … Continue reading The week cancer got really real →

Fortunately, my tumor is shrinking! It's down in size by almost a full cm (using the very technical method of a measuring tape - this was the doctors method not mine! And also I can feel it getting smaller and changing in density) Unfortunately, week 3 of chemo has been a real disaster. The actual … Continue reading Allergies schmallergies →

I've spent the past few days at a number of places where I'm seeing people who know about my cancer, but who haven't seen me face-to-face since learning the news. And above all else the question I get asked is, "How are you?" To be fair, this is the same question everyone else gets asked … Continue reading Terrible, Thanks for Asking →

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, started tonight. And with it begins a 10-day period called the Days of Awe focused on self-reflection, repentance, and good deeds that concludes with Yom Kippur, arguably the holiest day of the Jewish Calendar. I've been in a fairly introspective spot for the last few weeks, and also heading … Continue reading A new year, a (re)new(ed) attitude →

Well, its been 5 days since my first round of chemo. And thankfully, it hasn't been as bad as I was expecting. Sure, I'm sleeping 10-12 hours a day and I have to eat something small every 2-3 hours or my stomach starts to revolt. But on the laundry list of symptoms I'm tracking for … Continue reading A dash of hangover flu →

Today was the big day. First Round of Chemo Day. And boy was it a busy one. After dropping the dog off at doggy daycare, and picking up some breakfast delights at my new neighborhood co-op (where I received a frowny look for choosing to use a disposable plastic straw), my friends Chelsea and Kelly … Continue reading One Round Down (15 to go) →

My first of 16 rounds of chemo starts today. And if all goes the way I and the doctors want, by mid-January the cancer will be completely gone. So on the one hand, I’m super excited to get going on the “cancer-kicking” part of my treatment.  But I’m also really scared. I don’t know how … Continue reading Cancer kicking starts now →

Today I swallowed a big, heaping tablespoon of reality. Cancer reality. But first, a quick note of good news. My PET scan results came back yesterday and there was NO evidence that the cancer has spread. THIS IS HUGE. It means my cancer staging remains IIIB and means the outlook for the end of my … Continue reading A dose of reality →