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A Humorous Look at the Bright Side of Cancer... and There Is One

Chemotherapy & Radiation

July 6, 2010

Nausea & Fatigue… Not Exactly Conducive To Summer Fun

I figure my nausea can go away any day now. I quit chemotherapy last Christmas, for Pete’s sake. Guess my body hasn’t received the memo from my brain yet that the cancer has not spread and it can begin behaving by feeling energetic and nausea-free. The only thing I can think of is: a) I’m […]

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May 24, 2010

To Puke Or Not To Puke

I don’t know why I was so worried about seeing sharks. What I should have worried about was the boat ride back to port. I told myself that I would never use ginger again. Today, I consumed it for a solid half hour, candied and as ale. It doesn’t work for chemotherapy-induced nausea and it […]

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April 20, 2010

There’s Always One In The Bunch

There’s always one in the bunch and this time, it’s me. I am being “removed” from the clinical trial for being a non-compliant patient and that’s all I’m going to say on the subject.  

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April 14, 2010

That’s Not Something You Hear Every Day #6

I need to buy some. Duct tape, that is. Yesterday, at the echo(cardiogram), the technician told me to “take everything off from the waist up” and I was having a problem taking my bra off because the prosthesis is so heavy and my arm is sore from rototilling the garden the other day and… well, […]

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April 13, 2010

Dating During This Dang Disease

“Are you awake?” my husband asked me this morning at six. “Well, I am now,” I replied groggily. “What time is your heart appointment?” “One forty-five.” “I’ll pick you up around one.” “Okay.” This is what our dating has disintegrated to: going to the fifth echocardiogram together to see if the damage from the Herceptin […]

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April 5, 2010

Vacation In The Rain

Today, we are visiting the Tillamook Cheese Company which is a good thing because it is pouring outside. It’s also a good thing because yesterday when I went hiking along the hills near the beach with Ken and Jonathan, I thought I was going to have a heart attack on the spot. Dr. Hoffman warned […]

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March 18, 2010

Interpreting Lab Results

Before my Herceptin infusion this morning, my oncologist, Dr. Hoffman, observed, “Oh, I see you had another echocardiogram done yesterday.” Then, he began to speak German: “It looks like you have mild global left ventricular dysfunction with estimated EF 45-50%, trace mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. When compared to the echo of 1/2010, LV function appears […]

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March 14, 2010

Cancer & Creativity

I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I’ve been typing away on the “happy breast cancer book” for hours on end and then when I want a break, I compose music for a few more. This is, of course, in between teaching piano lessons, making dinner, and cleaning toilets. For the book: I’m going […]

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Marie de Haan

Marie de Haan
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