Life
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Gathering in
Long story short, more than a decade ago I had surgery that involved relieving pressure on several cranial nerves by a blood vessel. As a result of this procedure, I lost hearing in one ear, except for a constant whooshing sound. Hearing loss is devastating for some people. For me it is sensorially overwhelming and… Continue reading
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Lessons
Cancer teaches many lessons. The main one being don’t sweat the small stuff. This story is about what happens when you sweat the small stuff in affluent suburbia came by way of Kevin Drum at Mother Jones. (By the way, Kevin is a fellow citizen of Cancerland.) It’s very sad and makes me wonder why… Continue reading
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Sorry, lot full
Yesterday I drove to Houston and MD Anderson. I had no appointments, just picked up a prescription. The parking lot at the Main Building was full. So was Valet Parking. They put those orange traffic cones across the entrance when Valet Parking is full. This always makes me sad. It usually means too many people… Continue reading
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To the moon, Alice…
I’m not an effusive person, but I did (kinda) jump up and (kinda) shout “Yes!” during last night’s State of the Union address when President Obama announced Vice President Biden, who recently lost his son Beau to cancer, would be “mission control” in a Moonshot for Cancer. So, yea/yay for MY PEEPS! (And your peeps,… Continue reading
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A quick little post
… before my dog absconds with the package of cream cheese I left out on the counter. I don’t have anything to say on this Christmas Eve that’s insightful or inspirational, except eat whatever you want (as long as it doesn’t kill you) and Be Here Now. I love reading your blogs, especially getting email… Continue reading
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Words and pictures
My blogging buddy and friend over at BrainPickles ended a recent email to me with this favorite: ‘When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,’ said Piglet at last, ‘what’s the first thing you say to yourself?’ ‘What’s for breakfast?’ said Pooh. ‘What do you say, Piglet?’ ‘I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?’ said… Continue reading
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Agita
Maybe I’m a little on edge because later this week I’ll have my first scans since completing treatment at MD Anderson. This nervousness is called “scanxiety,” I understand. Ha, ha. Cancer is hilarious. Or maybe I’m a little agitated because I’m going through withdrawal from the prednisone I was taking for radiation pneumonitis. Or maybe… Continue reading
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Now what?
Just when I was getting the hang of cancer treatment, it’s over. (And I always whisper to myself “yeah, for now” but you can’t hear me say that.) I had my last carboplatin/paclitaxel ritual poisoning two weeks ago. Thirty radiation treatments, five rounds of chemo, a clinical trial I got kicked off of because I… Continue reading
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Dancing
This post has nothing to do with anything, just a particularly sweet memory that surfaced today. And since I got nothin’ else you want to hear about — unless you want to hear about the setbacks and side effects of cancer (and I assure you, it’s always something gross or annoying, if not possibly life… Continue reading
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Petty and I Don’t Mean Tom
Petty and mean-spirited. It’s what I am today. People with cancer are supposed to be grateful and mindful and I am most of the time in my meditative-elevative state, but not today. I’m physically uncomfortable, missing home, itching from a drug rash, in pain from (pardon my indelicacy) a urinary tract infection and just sick… Continue reading
About Me
This blog started out as letters to my dog maizie but devolved into meaningless observations from a half-deaf cancer alumnus introvert navigating the noise you other people make.
DEARMAIZIE 