Author Archives: reclinerwoman

About reclinerwoman

I was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer on 3/25/2008 and completed treatment on 11/6/2008. My cancer-free date is 8/27/2008. My desire is to encourage cancer patients and the ones who love them.

Laugh at Yourself

At my fourth chemo, my blood counts were great.  The nurse told me to keep on doing what I’d been doing.  At first I wondered — be horribly sick?  That works? Then I remembered.  After the third chemo I took medicine that … Continue reading

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Emotions that are Physical

I know some of the emotions I felt during chemo were physical.  I call those “fake” emotions.  When I recognized an imposter, I would choose to concentrate on what I KNEW.  I knew I was doing the right thing, I knew … Continue reading

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Discipline: A new understanding

**This post was written on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 and originally published on a blog site that is now closed.** Tomorrow is Chemo 4.  Chemo 1 was tentative – what would it be like?  Chemo 2 was “okay.”  I knew … Continue reading

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Living in a Comic Strip

A friend sent a Maxine Cooks line that was totally appropriate to the day: “I read recipes the same way I read science fiction — I get to the end and think ‘Well, that’s not gonna happen’” It was especially funny as … Continue reading

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Careful, or King James Careful?

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. I find it harder to trust God with my job than with my life. Getting through cancer … Continue reading

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Buy Yourself A Toy

I bought myself one of those toy whirly-gigs, wooden and intended to be stuck in your garden.  I put it in the back yard where I could see it frequently during the day.  It made me laugh, all colorful and … Continue reading

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Tease Your Doctor

Before I lost my hair, I found a wig that was so close in color and style to my own hair, my husband and children didn’t notice the difference.  When I lost my hair, I wore the wig to my oncologist office visit.  … Continue reading

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Turn Frustration into Laughter

At one point during chemo, mouth sores were threatening.  My breast care coodinator warned me to be proactive, as she had seen people in the hospital on a morphine drip from the pain of mouth sores!  I called my doctor and … Continue reading

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Sing About It

During the crazy rush of evaluation, testing and scheduling leading up to the start of my cancer treatments, I made up a little song. I don’t know I don’t know There’s so very many things that I don’t know My … Continue reading

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Family Funnies During Cancer, Part 3

We were explaining to the girls that I wouldn’t be having surgery.  Instead, I would be having some really strong medicine that would make me tired.  Daddy was going to need help from the girls.  My six year old piped up:  “We … Continue reading

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