Your Voice Has Potential, Share It Wisely

In the past year, two people I had known for decades and a third, the brother of a dear friend, committed suicide. The immensity of the loss shared by these three families and all those who loved them can never be measured. Immeasurable will also be the questions that remain unanswered as is the pain … Continue reading →

Shocked

It’s fair to say that not much of anything shocks me anymore. Maybe life, and this piece of shit brain tumor, have jaded me a bit as I’ve adjusted to a life full of insane (now normal) things and events. Don’t get me wrong, plenty in life is surprising and downright disappointing; such as toothpaste in the … Continue reading →

An Evening Image: Rays of Light

Not the worlds greatest photo and certainly not a crisp clean image considering I took it with my iPhone, but I saw this and had to capture it. The sky drew me in and I wished I had a better camera with me. I loved how the rays of light pierced through the murky and angry-looking clouds. It was far more beautiful in … Continue reading →

10.10.10

Celebrating #36… A once in a lifetime birthday on a once in a lifetime date.   

Can You Imagine?

Random conversation with mommy friends on the playground about Jennifer Grey on Dancing with the Stars and her recent cancerous Spinal Tumor… Can you imagine going to the Doctor for a check up and finding out-totally out of the blue-that you have a tumor and cancer? One day you’re fine and the next moment you’re … Continue reading →

My Stress Therapy Weekend

  I made my escape on a jet plane to New York City before the sun even considered waking up Friday morning. Needless to say, I’ve never been so happy to be showered and on my way at 5:00AM. I walked and wandered, ate, drank, laughed and slept.  And then repeated it all day after day. The best part was that … Continue reading →

Pay It Forward Friday

If there’s one thing that I’ve come to understand more clearly on my journey with this piece of shit brain tumor, it’s that you often never know what someone’s dealing with. Too often when no outward appearance of challenge, disability or emotion is evident we fail to recognize that they exist under the surface. Finally … Continue reading →

Revisiting

I had the opportunity today to tour what had been my home for a little over a day. Unit 31, the Neuro-ICU at Emory Hospital Midtown. Beginning my tenure this morning as a member of the UPC (Unit Practice Council) of Unit 31 as a Patient and Family Advisor, I knew I was going to revisit and … Continue reading →

What Doesn’t Kill You Might Make You Insane

I called my mother a few hours ago. I knew she could offer me no assistance being that she lives out-of-state, but I needed her to answer one question and I needed some sort of perspective if possible. Right after she picked up the phone I blurted out… “Is it worse to have a smoldering pumpkin fire … Continue reading →

Wrecking Balls

The journey we’ve been on has been interesting to say the least. There is however, an aspect of our journey that’s been difficult to articulate and more importantly, difficult to carry. Deeply personal, these interactions have framed my perspective as a patient and influenced my point of view as an advocate. The absolute worst part of our … Continue reading →

The Tank Revisited

Growing up, I always admired a piece of art that hung in a hallway off our kitchen titled, “The Tank”.   A watercolor of a collection of rural mailboxes; some filled with mail and newspapers, others empty or with doors closed to the contents. Among all of them was a doorless mailbox with a military tank sitting in … Continue reading →

Good Times Were Had By All…

Guess who made an appearance for the long weekend?        Yipee!!!!      The kiddos are tucked into bed (finally) and I’m cleaning up and settling back into my single momma routine after a jam-packed weekend of adventures.   I’m desperately trying to keep the weekend fun in the forefront of my mind, but the dread of re-entry and the daily grind that begins at 6AM sharp tomorrow morning is creeping in. Ugh!   Our … Continue reading →