Category Archives: Cancer Joy Secrets

Laugh at Yourself

Posted on September 4, 2016 by reclinerwoman

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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Discipline: A new understanding

Posted on July 5, 2015 by reclinerwoman

**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

Posted on December 11, 2013 by reclinerwoman

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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Buy Yourself A Toy

Posted on January 17, 2013 by reclinerwoman

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

Posted on November 24, 2012 by reclinerwoman

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

Posted on November 12, 2012 by reclinerwoman

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

Posted on October 26, 2012 by reclinerwoman

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

Posted on October 14, 2012 by reclinerwoman

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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When You Can’t Sleep, Pray

Posted on November 7, 2011 by reclinerwoman

It was helpful to me to learn that other people going through cancer treatment had trouble sleeping.  My anti-nausea medication, Ativan, helped me when sleep was elusive, but you might need to ask the doctor for something specifically to help … Continue reading →

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Family Funnies During Cancer, Part 2

Posted on October 30, 2011 by reclinerwoman

My husband and I decided if we were not afraid, our 6 and 10 year old daughters wouldn’t be afraid either.  We were careful to package scary news to make it as easy to hear as possible.  For example, when I … Continue reading →

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