I was raised in the American Midwest by parents whose definition of being punctual is to show up to a gathering or obligation (or for a weekend visit!) at least 20-30 minutes early. When I worked part time as a high school and college student, being on time was showing up at least 10-15 minutes […]
Category Archives: Action & Activism
Have a penny, pick it up. All day long, you’ll have good luck. I picked up a penny yesterday morning and thought of my Grandma Baldwin. She passed over 15 years ago at 91 and yesterday was actually her birthday. March 13, 1912. She was someone who believed in old wives’ tales and good luck […]
Today’s Agenda: Tell your hair story. Watch “Hair Love” Discuss Read about either The Crown Act or Deandre Arnold and reflect on your findings. I gave this agenda to my students this week and just about all of my students participated (and they don’t always do so). Everyone has some kind of a hair story. […]
For reals. I thought I would spend this October reflecting and writing about my 8th Breast Cancer Awareness Month since I was diagnosed. I had a couple of posts mocked up to write and thought I would make the time to finish the pieces. When I returned to Chicago Public Schools in late August, I […]
I remember my NOLA oncologist, Dr. Gurtler, being very opinionated, forceful, and persuasive about a number of things in regards to my diagnosis and treatment: She thought I should have reconstruction. She considered exercise as being extremely important and I was truly impressed with her personal exercise regimen–she walked her talk. Alcohol is really, really […]
Sex? Seriously? Let’s Talk About Sex Salt-N-Pepa Yo, I don’t think we should talk about this (Come on, why not?) People might misunderstand what we’re tryin’ to say, you know? (No, but that’s a part of life) Come on Let’s talk about you and me Let’s talk about all the good things And the […]
According to the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, today, October 13, 2018, marks the 10th Anniversary of National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. We often forget in this era of Susan B. Komen, Ford’s Warriors in Pink (don’t get me started on that one today–I’ll write a Think Before You Pink post later), pink ribbons, and […]
Susan Silk and Barry Goldwater’s 2013 Op Ed sums up the idea of comfort going into your world while heart ache, drama and pain are heading out, in this great piece. I wrote a blog post about it in 2013 and also again 2 years ago when my sister was dealing with pneumonia. 5 years […]
Tamoxifen 6 years. 8 months. 8 days. The gold standard of treatment for those diagnosed with ER+ breast cancer. My safety net. Do the benefits outweigh the risks? The goal was 10 years, but might 5+ be enough? Risks: blood clots, hot flashes, stroke, endometrial cancer, polyps. Benefits: significant data that it reduces bc recurrence […]
Seriously???? Why is it that my medical team here in Chicago is starting to resemble a charter school staff with it’s obnoxiously high turnover rates? No one sticks around for any extended time!!! In 2017, my oncology primary care physician of 2.5 years jumped ship to become the director of another university’s adult cancer survivorship […]
