Coping with Women's Cancers
Yesterday, I posted a brief announcement that I remain cancer-free on the three-year anniversary of my total robotic hysterectomy for uterine (endometrial) cancer on December 13, 2013 (a lucky Friday). I said I would provide the full scoop today, and I have provided more information below. But this will need to be just a quick update as… Continue reading Quick Update – My Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer Story: Three Peach Roses on My Three-Year Anniversary
In Part 1–Chemotherapy, we entered Diane’s story as she was undergoing pre-operative chemo for invasive lobular cancer (ILC) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) of the right breast, a relatively uncommon form of the disease. That post discusses breast cancer statistics, as well as the details of Diane’s chemotherapy protocol and its effects. In Part 2–Diagnosis, we reviewed why Diane… Continue reading Diane’s Story – Breast Cancer: Part 3–Surgery
In Part 1—Chemotherapy, we entered Diane’s story as she was undergoing pre-operative chemotherapy for lobular breast cancer. In this post, we will take a close look at how Diane’s journey began a year ago last month and how she is currently preparing for surgery by getting second opinions while her body recuperates from chemo. This is a cautionary tale… Continue reading Diane’s Story – Breast Cancer: Part 2–Diagnosis
Mammary gland at 40x under lab microscope (Accessed July 2016) © MicroscopeWorld 2015 Beginning with this post, we will be following the progress of my friend Diane, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer and has generously agreed to tell her story. Along the way, we will provide reliable information and resources to help others… Continue reading Diane’s Story – Breast Cancer: Part 1–Chemotherapy
Still my favorite story of all time, A Christmas Carol was published 171 years ago, on December 19, 1843. Click the book to view the only existing manuscript version of the novella. See it in person at the (J. Pierpont) Morgan Library & Museum in New York. Do take a look—it’s a treasure. On that same date last… Continue reading Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: Post Christmas 2014 Reflections on “Christmases Yet to Come”
Photo Copyright 2003, Nelson Soucasaux In the July 10, 2014 post, I explained why I underwent a colposcopy and biopsy on July 9. It took two weeks minus one day to get the results, which I received by way of a phone call from an assistant in the doctor's office at noon today. I don’t know why it… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: Biopsy & Re-reviewed Pap Results
Final lessons from a pretty, but fragile, aqua bulb lamp. The Patient Path . . . Yields Illumination Last weekend, I got the call from Pier 1 that my “new new” lamp was finally in. I had broken the “old new” lamp 10 days before while making the purchase and had… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: You Can’t Unbreak Glass…but the Fragments Can Be Contained-Update
Lessons from a pretty, but fragile, aqua bulb lamp. This story was updated on March 19, 2014. Shattered Glass & Fragmented Spirits Part of my personal treatment plan is to sort through all of my possessions—mounds of them, many of them paper records and memorabilia—and consolidate and clear out as much as possible. This is… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: You Can’t Unbreak Glass…but the Fragments Can Be Contained
David Lloyd - New York City Yes, as noted in the February 15, 2014 post, my Valentine's gift this year came wrapped in "21 shades of Gray." This is the standard dosage for high-dose-rate (HDR) vaginal brachytherapy following hysterectomy for uterine (endometrial) cancer--7 Grays (Gy) of radiation (iridium-192) given… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: Radiation “The New York Way”
In the 1977 movie Demon Seed based on the book by Dean Koontz, Julie Christie's character is impregnated by a computer that wants to experience life. This is what I thought of during my second vaginal brachytherapy treatment yesterday--although it's too late for me to be impregnated by anything but radiation (so to speak). The only… Continue reading My Story – Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer: The “Demon Seed”
The Patient Path 