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A Upcoming Visit to Memphis
I have some exciting news to share. Yesterday evening I invited to be a special guest for a St. Jude Blogger Tour – an exciting and educational three-day experience in Memphis, Tennessee this coming August where I will visit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, tour the facilities and witness first-hand the holistic care doctors, researchers…
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Find Meaning in Life’s Challenges
I’ve been putting off reading Sheryl Sandberg’s commencement address to the 2016 UC Berkeley grads – knowing it would bring out the feels. I read it this morning to help fire up some inspiration – sure enough, it hit me just like I expected… The entire speech is poignant, funny and meaningful, but here’s what resonated with me the most… “when…
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The Mediterranean Diet: Heart & Mind Healthy
Have you heard of the Mediterranean diet? Here’s the basics… Eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a…
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David Bowie: The Fabric of My Youth
Even though David Bowie was as far removed from my real life as possible, waking up to the news of his death from cancer caused my heart to sink. I wouldn’t even say I was a huge fan of his music other than an appreciation of his talent and art – but to me, he represented the freedom…
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Be Ready: Life Can Change At Any Minute
It was a stressful morning – Scotty had his regular colonoscopy scan which should be no big deal at this point. It’s a routine scan that he has to have every three years not only because he had colon cancer, but turns out he is a polyp maker. While we were in the pre-op room,…
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
I’ve been very retrospective and contemplative lately – thinking through things that have and are happening in my life. One of the things I have been doing, healthy or not, is revisiting some of the blogs I used to follow during Scotty’s cancer treatment. I’m not sure why I revisit them. Maybe it’s to remind me how…
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Seven Years Cancer Free: Breathe
This morning we made the drive to the Lombardi Cancer Center like we did so many times during Scotty’s colon cancer treatment. It was odd that today’s appointment was on a Tuesday, because it was every other Tuesday for months after his surgery, that we settled in for all day chemo appointments. The hospital is undergoing renovation, so it didn’t look…
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The Cancer Never Goes Away
I shared this article from the NYT yesterday on my Facebook page, After Cancer’s Calm, a Daughter’s Emotional Storm, but wanted to expand on it a bit more. This month marks 8 years since Scott’s cancer diagnosis. For those that are new to my blog, you can learn about how cancer changed my family by visiting my original blog…
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Celebrating Mathias: 2nd Annual Team Mathias 5K and Family Fun Run!
This past December, Mathias Giordano lost his cancer battle. Tomorrow he would have celebrated his 14th birthday. I have not been able to get him out of my thoughts since first hearing about him and what an amazing young man he was from my friend Gwen. Gwen and I, along with her son and HB…
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You Are Not Alone
“We read to know we’re not alone.” ― William Nicholson, Shadowlands This quote, by William Nicholson, in the movie Shadowlands, is one of my all time favorites and I turn to it for perspective often. Shadowlands, a 1993 movie based on the life and love of C.S. Lewis’s life, is a film I have watched dozens of times throughout the years…