Tagged with Courage …

An Unexpected Whirlwind

I never saw this coming yesterday, but appreciate it nevertheless.   Freshly Pressed on the Word Press front page.  Wow!    What began yesterday as a plan to begin my 30 Day Gratitude Challenge resulted in a post to share it on a whim. Certainly, that decision to share resulted in a huge response to say the … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 Unexpected Gift

Depending on the day, our life goes by many a different name. There’s ‘The Journey’, The Adventure’, ‘The Whirlwind’, ‘The Crazy Train, ‘Shit Luck Train Wreck’, ‘Disaster’ and the list goes on as I’m sure you get my point. Regardless of what Paul and I happen to be feeling, thinking about and dealing with, I’ve consistently … Continue reading →

Recipe For Nuts: Soon To Be Loco…

Grab yourself a beer, glass of wine or your favorite cocktail and join me for a few minutes. Our smiling villagers are officially done with school and while Tucker has taken to spending the past few hours completing his math workbook (what can I say the dude likes his math), it’s fair to say that our … Continue reading →

Big Girl Panties

I had a choice to make last week. Endure yet another dental cleaning filled with inappropriate commentary about my brain tumor (story here), or pull on my big girl panties and address the matter head on. I pulled on my big girl panties, a bit awkwardly, but I did it. Finally. If not for the … Continue reading →

For Those Who Just Must Know

Maybe it’s because I have two boys. Maybe it’s an undying curiosity and an inability to respect personal and private boundaries. Maybe I am too sensitive to the subject. Nevertheless, I am asked all the time if I want more children. If I want to try for “that girl”. I’m asked if three boys are … Continue reading →

Sharing, Unexpectedly, A Story About Day 1

I volunteer my time as a Patient and Family Advisor for Emory Healthcare as a part of their Patient and Family Centered Care initiative. Working in partnership with administrators, physicians and nurses, I participate in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of healthcare at Emory.  Simply put, it’s about including patients and their families as integral … Continue reading →

C is for Courage

Tucker is six. He has no idea that he has been struggling. He is very happy. Aside from his ability to memorize tremendous amounts of information and an affinity for being a great guesser, he can’t read very well.  We suspected there was a disconnect but we did not know the depth of the problem; we … Continue reading →

Point of View

Expressing what I’m thinking and the experiences we are going through as our lives have been transformed has become an integral part of who we are as we move through this experience. Writing has become a healing process and an expression of what we are feeling in the moment. It is often something that I … Continue reading →