tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77840745885727594492011-11-27T16:50:57.647-08:00LETTERS TO MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND, ZIP THE MONKEYChelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.comBlogger211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-21865948573552666212011-03-11T15:08:00.000-08:002011-03-11T15:15:39.651-08:00

Dear Zip, You and I survived a tornado together -- the Topeka Tornado, June 1966. As frightening as that was, I can't imagine what the people of Japan are going through. There's a Buddhist practice called, Tonglen. Some people call it 'receiving and sending.' It's a practice of compassion for others, a way to care about other people who are fearful and suffering. Simply put, we breathe in

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-35699048257208703822011-03-11T13:53:00.000-08:002011-03-11T13:53:21.683-08:00

Hi, Zip! Well, here I am again. You would think I could learn to hold onto a job, especially since I vowed to change my life after my breast cancer experience. Maybe this is my new phase: unemployment, depression, anxiety, and near financial ruin. WOO HOO! Pardon the pun, Zip, but it's a jungle out there! So many of us looking for jobs, no health care, a weak economy, high gas prices, and debt

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-56219000783017476932008-04-27T08:26:00.000-07:002008-04-27T09:51:36.563-07:00

On January 19, a black Labrador retriever came to our home. Yes, typically I'm the one who goes out and finds the homeless animals, but this time he came to us.We thought he belonged to a neighbor three-doors down, as it is extremely rare to see dogs off-leash in our area. This guy was full of energy (and testosterone), but without a collar or (as we found out later) a chip .After realizing he

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-21656835265963641702008-04-27T07:16:00.000-07:002008-04-27T08:25:52.398-07:00

Ode to my sweetheart:On September 17, 2007, I posted a blog entitled,"Pet Therapy" where I featured my loving golden retriever, Shelby. Since that time, Shelby was diagnosed with advanced stage lymphosarcoma. There was little we could do except keep her comfortable and hope to enjoy her for another six to twelve weeks.In the meantime, Frank was out of town for a month to work his 'dream job' at

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-69300207365053813432008-02-07T01:00:00.000-08:002008-02-07T01:37:06.136-08:00

So much time has passed. So much has happened. I know it's important to keep moving forward, but if I don't deal with issues, they keep coming back to me.I've been through 4 chemo treatments, my last one was January 11, 2008. I've lost all my hair, as they promised I would. I've gained weight, experienced mood swings that put my worst PMS episodes to shame. Gotta love the steroids!All-in-all, I

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-85639012081895091552007-10-06T05:01:00.000-07:002007-10-21T08:51:05.050-07:00

Good grief, October's almost over already -- and that means breast Cancer Awareness month is drawing to an end. So, in keeping with the "harpy" that I've become...(if you haven't already done so) GET YOUR MAMMOGRAMS THIS MONTH!!! NO EXCUSES!!!There are some great sites out there with lots of activities to help inform everyone about the risks and early detection of breast cancer:breastcancer.org

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-33041663884293695252007-09-26T07:31:00.000-07:002007-09-26T09:54:57.382-07:00

MOODS:One of my favorite books (and movies) is, “The Shipping News.” The opening line from the movie is, “I’ve been given to the wrong family at birth and somewhere in the world my real people longed for me.” This epitomizes my sister’s view of her life in our family. She coped through convincing herself that she was an orphan.Not me, I know I was born into our family. Just like the story, our

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-40804649929980480342007-09-20T06:35:00.000-07:002007-09-20T18:57:38.357-07:00

Still in search of "dad's nipple," I attempted to get information from his most recent doctor ... Dr. Tietze (yes, it's pronounced teats!), but the information is too old to retrieve. About dad's doctor's name, this really is a strange mix of coincidence ... my mother's maiden name was Titman, my father had a mastectomy, and his doctor's name was Teitze ... now, I have breast cancer! Hmmmm!I got

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-11742813873376639312007-09-17T19:33:00.000-07:002007-09-17T21:27:05.691-07:00

Another "bad Monday." The emotional drain of trying to locate information about my father's surgeries, flashes of excerpts from my pathology report that float through my, worries about treatment options, angst about genetic mutations, recurrence and general panic about what the future has in store for me sent me into a tailspin.We are blessed to share our house with several cats and dogs...each

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-3823167303963461052007-09-14T16:47:00.000-07:002007-09-14T18:06:29.569-07:00

MOOD SWINGS AND WAITING:I've been having a few really bad days lately. Monday was cloudy and I was extremely weepy. Maybe I'm just feeling sorry for myself, or maybe it's that roller coaster ride of emotions during the waiting period. Nearer to my doctor's appointment (Wednesday) my mood changed.By Wednesday, I was on top of the world. It was just a post-operative check-up that resulted in more

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-43831314183639694512007-09-11T04:30:00.000-07:002007-09-14T16:43:59.551-07:00

Yesterday was a bad day ... no particular reason. Yes, it was Monday and a little cloudy, but nothing really happened. And, that's my point ... when "nothing" happens, my mind takes over and starts it journey down that slippery slope of doubt and fear!It's a new day, and I thank God for it! Here's where the support system is so very important!My husband, Frank: he's absolutely wonderful! He's not

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-67168161448051509622007-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:002007-09-11T03:20:23.373-07:00

According to my chart, "Coming under the influences of Pisces, water and religion or spiritual matters are likely to have an untold influence on you."Today's entry is just a stream of consciousness about things that have happened to me of a spiritual nature. As they occurred I thought nothing of them, but in retrospect, they indicated those "spiritual matters that have an untold influence on me."

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-30670616815890795182007-09-07T14:59:00.000-07:002007-09-14T16:44:38.774-07:00

Along with friends and family, my nurse navigator, is truly a gift from God!Hopefully, anyone dealing the breast and other types of cancers are familiar with this term. If not, let me tell you about them (and, mine, in particular).The "technical" definition is, "The Nurse Navigator provides consistent care to the patient from diagnosis and treatment to recovery. They are knowledgeable about

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-69901323049732993002007-09-07T10:57:00.000-07:002007-09-07T14:59:01.462-07:00

I'm not really sure where to begin...a lot has happened since my last post.I received the path report from the surgery, a little worse than expected, but still very good (I think). The report showed Stage I, which means it's "real" cancer. Rather than DCIS (which is non-invasive), I have invasive ductal carcinoma, or IDC.My doctor says I'll probably have to have chemotherapy ... that's been a

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-43995294645472475242007-09-02T18:30:00.000-07:002007-09-03T14:51:21.748-07:00

Is it because they're working to save my life, or because they've seen me naked?Or, is it just me?I've spent the better part of an hour searching the web for anything remotely close to what I've experienced. Failing to find anything, I've concluded that either (1) I'm suffering from an extremely severe emotional problem; or, (2) people aren't forthcoming about their feelings. Actually, I did find

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-61485299765574127632007-09-01T22:26:00.000-07:002007-09-02T17:39:13.220-07:00

As I mentioned before, I hadn’t had a mammogram since 1999. I've spent the greater part of those 7 years (15 to be exact) working on my "head." I religiously see my shrink and therapist, take my meds for emotional ups and downs, and try to quell my nagging, age-old question, "what's wrong with me?"I "turned" 50 in 2006 (sounds like spoiled food, doesn't it?). I’ve "gone through" menopause (

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-54329275296435762232007-08-31T08:20:00.000-07:002007-09-01T22:09:49.216-07:00

Good news from the MRI --- they didn't see anything they weren't expecting! My surgery was scheduled for Wednesday, August 29.I had to stop eating at midnight, my surgery wasn't until 2:00 the following day, and I couldn't sleep the night before. I was in horrible pain, couldn't breath and could hardly raise myself to a sitting position. I was certain that during the MRI procedure they had broken

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-43999111753413921762007-08-31T07:52:00.000-07:002007-09-02T15:07:11.639-07:00

The MRI, by far, was the worst experience of my life! I knew when they asked me how much I weighed that I was in for trouble! Their response, "larger ladies find it a very tight fit...are you claustrophobic?"Claustrophobic? A better question would have been, "are you claustrophobic and do you mind having someone sit on your lungs for 30 minutes?"During the first part, I was on my back...not a

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-33630065033945187082007-08-31T05:51:00.000-07:002007-08-31T07:51:47.602-07:00

Dear Suzie,You asked why you've not been mentioned in my blog. I hadn't needed to, yet. After receiving my diagnosis, you were the second person I called; and, I knew you would be there for me -- as always. You're the one I've always counted on to protect me ... from thunderstorms, dark bedrooms without nightlights, to the anger in our house -- especially the fights between mom and dad.

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-68499113113465752472007-08-26T17:15:00.000-07:002007-08-26T17:16:45.415-07:00

Sunday, August 26, 2007 -- Dear Mom!I must, of course, begin my letter with an apology. Just like the phone calls of yesteryear, I’m always apologizing for things I’ve not done that I should have done.I’ve been diagnosed with a form of breast cancer. We think it’s just a simple matter of removing the lump and treating me with radiation. But, I have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow to confirm it.

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7784074588572759449.post-38529939410826922522007-08-25T15:04:00.000-07:002007-08-25T15:32:53.180-07:00

My last mammogram was in 1999. I really didn't worry about it because I didn't have any cancer in my family. My family is filled with emotional dysfunctionality, lots of heart problems and dementia. As a matter of fact, I just came through the mitral valve prolapse scare from my use of diet pills. So, I arrogantly figured "that was it," for me!So, you can imagine my surpise when, on August 10

Chelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04271569204632137552noreply@blogger.com2