As I’ve written before, last year was a bit of a challenge. Turned 50 at the beginning of the year in the midst of one of the most fiscally austere points of my life. Let go from a meaningful, rewarding job in an extremely humbling, demoralizing way. Exhausting issues in other areas of my life. […]
Category Archives: Health
“What really are the odds of finding this group, perfect for you, while walking your dog?!” This is what my friend Kelly asked when she found out 4 years ago about my new involvement in this super cool rowing team for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. What were the odds?? While the […]
A number of Tamoxifen’s possible side effects: Excessive tiredness Depression or anxiety Weight gain or loss Increased bone or tumor pain Thinning of hair Hot flashes Some symptoms of stress can include: Fatigue Depression Excess eating or smoking Poor memory Increased alcohol consumption Anger/hostility Difficulty making decisions Frequent mood swings Negative thinking Distractibility Feeling overwhelmed […]
I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap. Ani DiFranco This past month has been a busy one in regards to my health. New insurance went into effect. Had my annual mammogram and check-up with my oncologist. Had the re-scheduled (from September) ultrasound of my […]
Coxswains lie. Regularly. “You are almost there!” “Another Power 10 and we will catch up to the other boat!” “You’ve got this!” “We are going to pass them!” ROW’s best coxes, Monica & Kendra & Barb & Lindsey, all lie to us regularly. That’s what they do to get the most out of a practice […]
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 […]
6 months of water practices may be waning off, but with only a practice or two left of this summer’s water season, I felt extremely grateful last night to be out on the water with my amazing teammates, our wonderful volunteers and terrific coach, Lily, enjoying a beautiful sunset while getting a late season row […]
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 […]
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 […]
Searching for EMWA 