Laura, Part 2

  • New Habits

    I am developing new habits. For eating and exercising, and also for writing. Last week, I got up 15 minutes early every morning on work days to write a little bit. Nothing I would publish here. Just to get things… Continue reading

  • Autumn

    Autumn brings cooler weather and grayer days. I have two more weeks of chemo. The cumulative effects of the drugs are starting to manifest. I feel weak. My nails are brittle. I feel a little down. But I have a… Continue reading

  • Untitled

    I am so tired of this place. My quiet desperation has become a little noisy. Cancer has made me realize that engaging in pointless efforts is a waste of my valuable time. I have to somehow stick it out for… Continue reading

  • Over the First Hurdle

    I finished my cycles of adriamycin and cytoxan a few weeks ago. Now I am on taxol once a week. So far this drug is much easier to endure. I think the other regimen was making me depressed. Getting over… Continue reading

  • Ego

    Is having a big ego a good thing or bad thing? I don’t think I have a big ego, but maybe I should. Maybe it would motivate me to accomplish things. Or is it the people who are really insecure… Continue reading

  • Feeling Good

    I have actually been feeling pretty good for the past few days. Maybe it is the Neulasta shots they are giving me for my white blood cells. This morning, Jim and I took a hike on Hemlock Trail at Coopers… Continue reading

  • Being Still

    The cancer center called me on Friday. I am profoundly neutropenic, which means that my body is producing very few white blood cells. The nurse told me to stay away from crowds and to wear a mask if I go… Continue reading

  • Mistakes

    I have often been told that I am pretty hard on myself. When I make a mistake, I get angry. Last week, I was supposed to have a port put in for cancer treatment. The people at the hospital may… Continue reading

  • The New Normal

    Well, I thought I was going to start chemotherapy last week. It turns out I didn’t. Instead, I had one new biopsy in each breast of areas that were found on an MRI. I am learning that this process of… Continue reading

  • Gratitude

    It is a relief to know that my cancer is Stage IIA. When my husband was diagnosed with melanoma, it was already at Stage IV. I think I can manage this. The question now is whether I have chemotherapy first… Continue reading