The Other Side of Pink
Oct02

The Other Side of Pink

I tend to remain a bit tight-lipped when pinktober rolls around and a lot of bloggers jump on one bandwagon or another. My first October after diagnosis made my stomach curl. Everywhere I turned there was a reminder of what I had been through. I had just finished radiation, I didn’t have much hair, I was sick, I was tired and I hated the color pink. I appreciate and support that everyone has a voice. I have a voice too, and so I...

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Love, Cancer and 67 Date Night Ideas
Jul28

Love, Cancer and 67 Date Night Ideas

I am amazed Mike hasn’t murdered me yet. Most men have to go through menopause once with their wife, I believe we have done it 2 times now and have been through Tamoxifen and Letrazole. Estrogen blockers are quite similar to going into menopause, at least for me. I will laugh, get extremely agitated and then cry within a 10 minute period. Over something like the dog puking on the carpet (not that my dogs ever puke on the carpet,...

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Finding Hope
Jun18

Finding Hope

A coast to coast trip related to cancerĀ during the worst part of chemo never seems to be a good idea, especially right after you got on disability from work. Some I can talk about, openly, some I will explain later, but what it came down to was OMG it was a hard week. Not just physically, but emotionally. Living in cancerland, talking about cancer and discussing your harsh realities 24/7 is an emotional suck. Until you learn to shut...

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Tips: Chemo Beauty Tips
Jun08

Tips: Chemo Beauty Tips

This seems like an oxymoron, but I know it is something women ask about. How do I make myself look and feel a little more normal when I feel like a total pile of mud. Chemo treatment is a time when you learn that yoga pants don’t always have to be used for yoga, they can be used for other things – like sleeping, watching TV, and just lounging around the house drooling on yourself (I would never do that…...

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Accessing a PowerPort for the First Time
Mar13

Accessing a PowerPort for the First Time

Today was hyper Mandi. I think steroids contribute to hyper Mandi status. I caught myself yammering at work to one of my teams yesterday and realized I was on a pre-chemo-steroid energy binge. I will take energy. It is lovely after last week being an exhausted ball of worn out. I was apparently “adorable” as noted by the pharmacist telling someone on the breast cancer team that saw me on the elevator. I was rocking my...

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Big Data, Pink Ribbons and Racing For the Cure
Mar09

Big Data, Pink Ribbons and Racing For the Cure

There are a lot of varying opinions about pink ribbons and breast cancer organizations/fundraising. I participated in the Stomp Out Breast Cancer – Don’t Ignore Stage IV effort because many people are very undereducated about Stage IV breast cancer unless they know someone with it. I also don’t want to get in everyone’s face and shove my opinions down their throats, most of the time. I am mostly focused on...

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