Parker (AKA Camille, cough, hack) in Stage 4

                                                                   Episode 8 - A Day in the Life with Metastatic Breast Cancer Ah, it is almost the New Year. Here’s hoping 2024 is a banner year for all of you! As for me, I am impatient for this year to end, and hope against hope January will provide me greater clarity, and a real time frame for what comes next in my treatment. I doubt very much I am unusual here when I note it is the waiting, and uncertainty that is most difficult. I can handle damned near anything, once I know what’s coming. So! As I don’t yet, I’m focusing on what I do know, what I have learned, and hoping my experiences, and thoughts find a home here with you. I relate now one of the most potent, and for me, powerful realizations regarding my diagnosis. Ok, I must admit,...

                                          Episode 7 - A Day in the Life with Metastatic Breast Cancer Happy Chanukah to all who celebrate the festival of lights, and welcome back to my day to day exploration of living with this ridiculous scourge. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be focusing on the pretty lights, and remembering it ain’t always about cancer! Yes, it is true! Believe it or not, there will come a day when you realize some things that happen in your life - whether good or bad - have nothing to do with breast cancer! Staggering epiphany, I know. Let me illustrate with an example from earlier this month. I went to my much loved Pilates Reformer class, and as usual, it kicked my butt in a most satisfying way. As I was catching my breath, and cooling down, I was on the floor retrieving exercise equipment I’d stashed under the Reformer machine. I ...

                                          Episode 6 - A Day in the Life with Metastatic Breast Cancer Happy first week of December! I hope you’re making plans for a lovely holiday this year. I am, though I’m feeling a little like Alice talking to the Queen of Hearts, when she tells her, “My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.” Does that resonate? Yes, well. Lots to do, lots to plan, and no time for feeling a little low energy. A little low energy? Ok, ok, a lot of low energy this weekend. But, it was to be expected. Friday, I went to the nuclear medicine clinic, and cancer center for scans (three), blood draws, a meeting with my oncologist, and finally, had an IV drip set up with an infusion of Zometa, to strengthen my bones. Long day.   In the last three years, I’...