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Showing posts from October, 2014

Another Birthday

Today I am 63 years old, and I look back over a year that took me by surprise. None of us knows what lies ahead, and the Universe decided to use a sledgehammer to remind me of that truth over the past 12 months. A year ago I was: - a workaholic, juggling many different sets of responsibilities at my job. - a person who got little exercise and who weighed more than I liked. - glued to a computer screen for almost my entire day. - feeling isolated much of the time. - dabbling in mindfulness meditation, but without a practice. - surprisingly healthy and prone to occasional feelings of well being, given all of the above. Today I am: - retired, and loving it. I feel no guilt at all about not showing up to work any more! - a person with stage IV cancer. - a person who is significantly more active. I go for a walk every day, and in general try to stay on my feet. - still a lover of the computer and the smart phone, but not as tied to them. - overw

Where There's Hope, There's a New Sweater

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One of the issues I grappled with early after diagnosis was: what the heck do I knit now? Sweaters and lace shawls are wonderful to make and wear, but they take a while to complete. An added consideration is how much wear they will get now that I’m retired. I could certainly wear that gorgeous lace-bottomed cardigan around the house, but will I? Does this mean that I had best restrict myself to small projects and gifts for other people to wear? Gifts are another issue all by themselves. It’s surprisingly difficult to knit a gift that the recipient likes, or uses. Socks are the best bet, but even they are problematic. I have resolved this issue by deciding to knit what I feel like knitting. This means that I now have a new sweater. I finished it in time to wear on a recent trip to Cape Cod (although not in time to wear to my retirement dinner). Here I am in Wood’s Hole, Massachusetts, by a memorial to Rachel Carson. Wood’s Hole is a fascinating spot, as scientific work provides a lot of

Please support the EGFR Resisters Research Fund!

To help improve outcomes for people like me with EGFR mutated lung cancer, please donate to the EGFR Resisters' Research Fund. All donations are tax deductible and are in a restricted fund with the Bonnie Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, a four-star rated charity. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!